


The Cygnus Thief

by bulletincookie, sinunamor



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Eventual Romance, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Slow Burn, Stealing is wrong kids
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2018-12-07 19:02:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 65,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11629908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bulletincookie/pseuds/bulletincookie, https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinunamor/pseuds/sinunamor
Summary: A cunning thief and an unfortunate stablehand cross paths from the theft of a pocket watch and some stubborn horses. A passing comment made without thought leads to a chase all around Europe, as they try to find freedom and a place for their love to grow.





	1. The Pocket Watch

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This was originally a roleplay that sinunamor and I wrote about a year ago. We agreed on writing it up into a more legible format, and that's now finally being worked on! Updates should (should) be on a regular basis of some sort, maybe every few days or weekly? We'll see!

“Stop! Thief!”

Shouts and barking could be heard echoing through the streets as rain poured down overhead, making the cobblestone streets slippery and difficult for the guards to chase after a shadowed figure ahead. João glanced back and smirked as he saw that he was slowly gaining more of a lead, used to running on the slick roads. He pushed himself to go faster despite his muscles screaming at him to stop, knowing that he couldn’t afford to take a break. Fate seemed to have another plan for him though, forcing him to skid to a halt as a separate group of guards cut him off from a side street ahead. He cursed under his breath and turned down a narrow alley to cut through to a wider street as his mind raced to improvise. 

With so many guards and dogs chasing him, he knew there was no way he was going to be able to make it out of the city. Dammit, it was almost like they knew he was going to be at that house! João turned and ran away from the direction of the gates when he got to the next street, looking around for somewhere he could hide. He praised his luck when he saw a stable, and he burst into it. He felt his heart drop in worry when he saw a confused stablehand inside, but he knew he couldn’t worry about it right now. He hopped onto the back of the nearest horse and grabbed onto its mane.

“Hey, mind if I take this? Thanks,” he said quickly, and gave the horse a swift kick. The horse didn’t seem to care though, and instead continued to munch at its feed without budging. João growled and hopped down, about to grab another horse, but he froze when he heard the barking dogs get closer. He grabbed the still confused stablehand, who looked like he was about to pass out from fright.

“Get rid of them and don’t give me away and I’ll give you double what the bounty for my head is,” he hissed, shoving him away. The stablehand stumbled back, stammering for an explanation as João yanked a bale of hay away from a stack so he could hide behind it. He pulled it back into place just as the guards burst in.

The stablehand froze and swallowed nervously, looking at the menacing guards wide-eyed. He tried his best to calm his anxious demeanor all while hotly debating the morality of it all in his head. So this guy walks in, about to steal your boss’s horse, his mind began to process as a guard approached him and towered over him. Then he asks you not to give away his position, he continued.

“Where is he? Where is the Cygnus Thief?!” the guard demanded, pulling a poster out to show it to the stablehand. But then he promises you money! Sounds like the work of the devil! Should I trust him? he wondered. The poor man fumbled over his words.

“Lo siento, s-sorry but I don’t… I-I… I haven’t seen him,” he stammered. João cursed silently when he heard the stablehand stutter so badly, essentially blowing his cover immediately. He gripped his rosary with one hand as he gripped the hilt of the dagger at his waist with the other. 

“Well, then I suppose you won’t mind us taking a quick look around,” the guard sneered before turning and looking back at the group of the others. “Bring the dogs in here,” he commanded. “Ten of you, split up and keep searching for him in the streets. He can’t get far in this weather.” 

The stablehand was visibly horrified at the sight of the dogs being brought in, their noses immediately going to the floor of the stable to start sniffing around. A few guards came in as well to check the insides of the stables and the rafters to try to find the thief. Mentally kicking himself, he scampered off to the entrance of the stables where a veteran racehorse was lazily grazing around the opening. Quickly making off with a saddle that hung nearby, The stablehand strapped the old horse with his experienced hands. 

“No me fallas Catalina,” he whispered as he slapped the backside of the horse. Startled, the old horse began galloping, and the stablehand ran back into the stables.

“Guards!” he shouted frantically, though he was genuinely panicked. “I just saw him! He made off with my best horse! Por aqui! He’s a crazy puta, he is holding the side of my horse so he won’t get hit! Please get him, that’s my best horse!”

The guards snapped to attention, and with a few shouted orders from the leader they took off, dragging the dogs with them despite the dogs growling and whining and wanting to inspect the stack of hay bales a little closer. 

The stablehand exhaled in relief. That was too much for his good Catholic self to handle, then yet again… The guards can fuck themselves! His hands wouldn’t stop shaking. He leaned against the entrance, trying to relax his racing heart. João held his breath as he waited for the silence, then cautiously peeked out. 

“Is it safe?” he asked hesitantly. When he saw the stable was empty save for him, the stablehand, and the other horses, he sighed in relief and climbed out. “Thank you. I owe you my life,” he said, clapping the stablehand on the shoulder. “I’ll bring you back your reward once I’m done getting my client what he asked for. Do you have a good horse I could take?” he asked softly, keeping his voice down in case any of the guards were still close by.

“I j-just made the last good horse go,” The stablehand sighed. “All of these my boss lends for farmwork. They are old, as you can see.” He walked back over to the horse that João originally tried to take off with. “Take El Domingo, he’s a bit stubborn but he should take you where you need to go. My boss won’t miss him.” He wiped the sweat off his strong brow and frowned. “You’re not from here are you?” he asked, and João laughed softly.

“Was it that obvious? No, I’m not. I came all the way over from Portugal,” he explained. “I was here because I needed to get something from someone that lives nearby. Maybe you know him,” he said. He took out a beautiful golden pocket watch, feeling a burst of pride as the stablehand visibly admired the delicate detail in the engravings of it. It was no doubt that the watchmaker, whoever he may be, was divinely skilled. The stablehand shook his head in disbelief. 

“You went through all that trouble for a pocket watch,” he chuckled heartily. “Here I thought, with the guards hot on your trail like that, I thought you’ve stolen the king’s crown! And for a moment, I actually wanted a piece of the action!” 

João grinned proudly and put the pocket watch back in the pouch at his waist. “Well, when you’re a famous thief that has never gotten caught for almost ten years, everything you steal becomes a huge deal,” he explained, not wanting to admit he only underestimated how difficult it would be to steal something in the heart of the city. It wasn’t his fault that there was an unusual amount of guards! “I’ve stolen so much and so many valuable things that any time I’m spotted it’s like the entire army is against me. It’s also why I have such a large bounty on my head. But then again, the king’s crown...that’s not such a bad idea,” he mused as he got a saddle strapped on the black horse, along with a bridle and reins. “Thanks for the suggestion, I’m sure you’ll hear about how it goes in a couple of weeks.”

“I will take your word for it amigo. That and for the money you now owe me. I will be looking forward to that actually!” the stablehand teased. 

“Yes, yes, of course,” João said, rolling his eyes. He wished he hadn’t promised such a large sum of money, but he was desperate. At least it assured he would live for at least another few minutes. He hopped up onto the horse’s back and grabbed the reins. 

“Alright buddy, let’s go,” he said, giving the horse’s neck a small pat. When the horse still refused to budge, he sighed heavily.

“You really have a way with horses don’t you?” the stablehand joked, grinning at him. He went to the side and pulled on the reins. The horse shook his head and began walking. “Date prisa cabron,” the young man commanded, though his tone was still fond as he patted the horse’s flanks. “Just pull on the reins a bit harder than what you normally would do, it should get his attention,” he instructed. “Oh, and make sure he is watered or else he will be extra stubborn. Keep him alive, vale?”

“I will. I always treat animals better than I do myself,” João promised with a laugh as he guided the horse towards the entrance. “In fact, that’s why I was on foot. I didn’t want my own horse to get a cold standing around outside for me.” He stopped El Domingo right before the doors and pulled his hood over his head to hide his face again. 

“Thank you again for your help. I’ll make sure to bring back my debt to you as soon as I can,” João promised. With that, he tugged hard on the reins to make El Domingo trot outside into the rain before he led him into a gallop. 

If João had looked back, he would’ve noticed the stablehand watching him go with a fond smile on his face. This guy is actually not at all bad, he thought as he saw the noble thief off. “Adios, y que Dios te bendiga. Take care,” he said, even though he knew he wasn’t able to hear him. He heaved the stable doors closed, the rest of the chores forgotten for the night. Well, you might’ve made a new friend today but at the cost of two horses, he thought. 

“Pendejo!” he cried. “I didn’t even ask for his name!”

João realized his slip up as well with not asking for the man’s name right as he was slipping out of the capital. He cursed under his breath and sped up the horse, hoping that he was there tomorrow as well. If not, it was going to be near impossible to find him in such a large city. 

He dropped the pocket watch off at the designated tavern several hours before the time he was supposed to drop it off at and quickly took off. He had learned from one too many traps that it was best if he dropped off the item, let his friend handle the actual transaction, and then pick up the payment later when it was clear. He headed towards a dense forest after making sure nobody was trailing him, and navigated the woods slowly until he found his house, a small cottage out in the middle of the forest.

He put El Domingo in his stable, making sure he had plenty of dry hay and that there were no drafts in the building so he didn’t get sick from the rain. He fed him and his own horse before trudging inside to fall asleep, the excitement and adrenaline quickly wearing off and making him fall asleep almost immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gee I wonder who the mysterious stablehand is. He certainly can't be the other character that's in the tags already, no sir.


	2. Living Like a King

When he woke up, it was already afternoon of the next day. He groaned softly, not wanting to get up just yet, but a deal was a deal. While he was a thief, he didn’t go back on any deal he made. It wasn’t like he didn’t have the money to spare anyways. He waited until one of his messenger boys came over to deliver his payment for the stolen watch so that the boy could help him load up the amount needed into a cart. He covered the cart to hide the bags of gold and he hooked up the two horses to it, feeling bad for making them carry so much weight. He rode them out of the forest and back towards the city, feeling much more nervous and jumpy out in broad daylight even though his hood covered his face.

By the time he got to the capital and snuck in, it was already early evening. He had taken it slow so that he didn’t hurt the horses by trying to push them too hard. He rode through the streets carefully so he didn’t bring suspicion on himself, and so he didn’t hit anyone or lose any coins. He had to pull the horses to a sharp stop to avoid running someone over when he saw him in the road towards the stable, kicking rocks along and not even looking up to see where he was going or bothering to move out of the way.

“Hey, watch where you’re--” he started, but stopped when he recognized the man as the stablehand as before. “Oh, what luck!” he said happily, hopping off of the front of the cart. “You are the stablehand from yesterday, correct?” he asked, going over to offer his hand to the young man.

“I was,” the man sighed, refusing the handshake. “My boss didn’t like that I lost Catalina. I thought the guards would bring her back when they saw she was dismounted, but...they probably just took her and sold her, or took her for their own use,” he explained sadly.

“Typical Spanish guards,” João scoffed. “Well at least he didn’t notice El Domingo being gone, right? He was a very good horse by the way, just like you said.”

“He was planning on giving El Domingo to his niece for a first Holy Communion present,” the young man sighed. “At least he did not take my head I suppose, but now I have no job, no money, and nowhere to go. I’ll have to move to a new city where my reputation isn’t tainted by the mere fact that horses mysteriously disappear under my care.”

João sighed and clapped a hand on his shoulder to try to reassure him. “Well, I can fix one of those. I brought you your money,” he whispered, making sure nobody was around before he pulled up a corner of the cloth that covered it. He grinned when he saw the shock and surprise clear on his face. 

“Dios mio!” the other man exclaimed, quickly clasping his hands over his mouth. Once the initial shock wore off, his hands fell limp to his sides. “P-Porque?” he stuttered. “I mean, how did you? Where did--? How?!”

João conveniently ignored the question and sighed. “I’m sorry about your horse. At least maybe you can save your name a little bit by bringing back El Domingo,” he said, gesturing to the horse that looked even older compared to the sleek black mare that stood proudly next to him. “Speaking of your name, what is it?” he asked. 

“It’s Antonio,” the other man replied. “I hope the guards didn’t treat Catalina badly, or sell her off to an abusive owner.” He smiled, stepping closer to admire the thief’s prized horse. “May I?” he asked, offering his hand to the horse and looking at him for a sign of permission.

“Of course. Ofelia is very friendly,” João assured him, stepping away to give him room. “The military is quite corrupt around here, aren’t they? Someone should do something about that,” he said softly, doing another check to make sure the path was still empty. He looked back at Antonio, who was caressing Ofelia’s head and smoothing down her mane lovingly. Ofelia, of course, was loving the attention, even though João had given her plenty of affection and brushing before they left. 

“She was not my horse, but she was my favorite,” Antonio sighed. “The guards here can do whatever they please and no one says a word. They are terribly intimidating.” He gave Ofelia one last rub before stepping away. “Speaking of which, we need to get out of here before they come and arrest you and confiscate everything. They are Spanish, they can smell gold,” he said.

“Right, you Spaniards are like that,” João teased, grinning at him.

“Oye!” Antonio defended, only a bit annoyed. It was a playful jab at his nationality, but he wasn’t expecting him to agree so quickly.

“You know what, how about you go and take care of what you want to do with the money. I have to go run an errand really quick. Feel free to spoil Ofelia and El Domingo a bit, Ofelia loves apples,” João advised, giving him a wink. He pulled his hood down a bit more to shadow most of his face again and gave him a seemingly innocent smile. “Don’t you dare hurt her though, not even a slap. She’s very sensitive. I will know, and whatever you do to her, I’ll do the same to you, but ten times worse.” He turned and hurried off, leaving Antonio very worried and confused with the threat hanging in the air. 

Antonio was surprised at the sudden departure, but didn’t think much of it. He glanced at the covered cart again and sighed. Now he was all alone with his money and the horses. “Now what?” he asked, looking at the horses. El Domingo snorted and Ofelia stamped her hooves. “Don’t give me that!” he whined. “I don’t have a home to go to anymore! The stables was where I ate and slept!” He glanced over at the cloth covering the bags of money that was now all his. He smirked, and his eyes gleamed. 

“Jesu-cristo forgive me for taking money I did not earn,” he prayed before jumping up onto the cart. He decided he would come back here when he was done, since he still did not know the thief’s name. He tugged gently on the reins and off he went. 

He went deeper into the city, first buying a couple of barrels of apples for the horses, and to hide the money more effectively. He went to have a fancy suit tailored and bought himself better shoes than the only pain he owned that was always muddied. He even went as far to the blacksmith to order a custom sword, even though his knowledge in fencing was the bare minimum. He ordered his favorite foods at local street vendors and tipped them generously. He even made a quick trip to the cathedral and paid homage to his favorite saint, dropping a few gold pieces into the offerings for the poor. He went into an unclaimed meadow further out to let the horses have time for themselves. 

“Today I lived like a king,” Antonio muttered, quite pleased with himself as he ate an apple under the shade. “I had not only one, but two churros today!” 

João meanwhile was having the time of his life as well, though not in nearly the same way that Antonio was. Sneaking into the courtyard of the palace in nearly broad daylight wasn’t an easy task, especially with only his most basic tools just in case he had gotten into trouble, but that only made it more fun in his opinion. It wasn’t long before he found himself on the inside of the palace walls, hunched down and pressed up against the walls as much as possible to blend into the shadows. He lurked around until he got to the stables that the royal guard kept their horses in. He waited and observed the building as much as he could, taking note of every weak spot of the lazy boy that helped out inside the stable and the two guards that stood at post in front of it. 

João praised his luck when the boy left with the guards to get dinner once the guards’ shift was over. He poured a small vial of oil over the back door’s hinges so they didn’t squeak once he picked the lock and dashed inside. He checked each holding stable, not recognizing any of them, until he came to one that looked horribly out of place. She looked miserable, much older, her mane wasn’t styled, and she didn’t have any of the armor that the others had hanging up in their stall. 

“Catalina?” he whispered. The horse perked up its ears and stamped its hooves. “Oh thank goodness,” he sighed. “I really hope you’re the right one.” He gave her some feed to make her more friendly and then lifted up the large board that was holding one of the larger side doors closed. “Are you ready?” he asked, patting her neck and leading her towards the door. “We have mostly tree cover the way there, but the next shift of guards will surely be guarding every entrance. Unless…” 

João gently led Catalina back into her stall to keep her from getting hurt. He then opened all of the doors only slightly, just enough to be kicked open. He then opened the rest of the stalls, letting the horses wander around. He took his lockpick pin and prodded a couple of the horses with it a few times, getting them nervous and riled up. The rest of the horses followed suit, stamping around nervously until João scared them into a frenzy. He just managed to jump out of the way at the horses charged around inside the stables until a few pushed open the doors and the rest followed out. Startled shouting was heard outside, and João peeked out to see all of the guards that were previously on duty rushing off of their posts to try to catch the horses. He quickly threw open Catalina’s stall once more and jumped on her back. 

“Now’s our chance, let’s go,” he said, and the horse took off outside. Nobody even noticed them for the few seconds they weren’t covered by the trees or bushes, and João rode her past the walls without anyone trying to chase him. He snickered and headed back for the place he ran into Antonio, seeing that the sun was already about to set. 

Antonio had thought the same thing when he took note of the sun’s position in the sky, though he was already there by the time João came racing up. He couldn’t believe his eyes, but there he was, mounted on his favorite mare. Antonio hopped off of the cart and approached the horse, placing a hand on her head in warm greeting. Laughing, he held his forehead against hers, passing a hand around her jaw as João hopped off of her back to give them some space. He was just glad that he was correct and got the right horse. Antonio looked over at the noble thief, smiling brightly.

“You will never cease to amaze me,” he spoke in genuine admiration. “Thank you for going through all of this trouble!” He scratched behind Catalina’s ears, noting that she was well and unharmed. “Where was she?” he began to ask excitedly. “How did you even manage it?!”

“Oh, she was just in the royal guard’s stable,” João whispered. “Nothing too big. The stable boy and the guards turned their backs at exactly the wrong time. I distracted them all by making all of the other horses go crazy and letting them go loose in the courtyard.”

“That’s amazing!” Antonio said, the smile never leaving his face as he cooed at Catalina. João went over to Ofelia and gently scratched behind her ears as well before he inspected her to make sure Antonio didn’t hurt her. When he confirmed that she was still in perfect condition he smiled softly and hugged her around her neck. 

“Did you have a good time today with Antonio?” he cooed. “I bet you did. I see those apples back there, did he give you one? You deserve it, for being the best horse in the world. Yes you do.” He took an apple out and held it out to Ofelia, who gently ate it out of his hand. 

“Oh, we haven’t formally introduced ourselves yet, have we?” Antonio replied, walking over to him. He tried not to act like it was strange that a thief, someone who was supposed to be cunning and coldhearted, was talking to a horse as if he were talking to a newborn baby. Catalina followed behind him obediently. “Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, ex-stablehand...Not much of a title,” he chuckled. “And yours?”

João laughed softly and held a gloved hand out to him. “João Santos Medeiros, also known as The Cygnus Thief. Best in all of Europe, if not the world,” he said proudly as he shook Antonio’s hand. However, his pride soon deflated when he remembered he was the cause that Antonio was now an ex-stablehand. “I don’t suppose bringing them back would fix it?” he asked. “Because if it wouldn’t then I’m just going to take them with me. They’re good horses and they deserve better.” 

“No, I honestly don’t think it would matter. Señor Vasquez would be too angry at this point to let me back in, even if I returned his horses safe and unharmed,” Antonio sighed, then looked at João with a frown. “You can have El Domingo, but please. I know you worked so hard to get her back, but please let me keep Catalina,” he begged. 

“What, you thought I’d take her from you after you said she was your favorite?” João laughed, slinging an arm around Antonio’s shoulder. “Do you really think I’m that unkind? I only steal if it’s part of a job. But speaking of jobs…” He hummed softly as he thought it over, and Antonio felt nervous, suddenly remembering again that he was in the presence of a famous, renowned thief, and a lot of money. João suddenly perked up again and ruffled Antonio’s hair. 

“How about you come back and work for me? I need a stablehand to look after those two anyways,” he offered, gesturing at Ofelia and El Domingo. “Room and board would be free as long as you keep my stables and horses in good shape. My house is in a quiet forest, right next to a river. It’s much better than the city. Sound good?”

“Of course!” Antonio said quickly as he climbed up onto Catalina’s back while João hopped back up onto the cart, and then they were off. In his childhood, Antonio was considered a rash child. One who made hasty decisions no matter how sensitive the situation might seem. 

His mother often reprimanded him for such behavior, warning him how it could one day get him into trouble. His father blamed his lack of instinct and naivete for whatever little voice that was supposed to tell you something doesn’t seem right wasn’t exactly there. But Antonio didn’t see anything wrong with this man. Oh if his dear mami found out he was now associating himself with thieves.

Even so, as they traveled deep into the forest, Antonio hardly felt a twinge of doubt. For some reason he trusted him. He knew he could trust him. Granted, going through a thicker part of the forest like this would make any man turn on his heels and run, but Antonio followed João in full faith. 

“This is where you live? You were correct, it’s very peaceful,” he said, trying to strike up a conversation. “It would make sense for you to live here, since it’s so dense.”

“Of course. It’s difficult for guards to track me through here, not that I would ever come here if I knew I had someone trailing me. I like that it’s close to a river too, so I can fish when I have free time,” João explained, glancing over at him. “Do you know how to fish? It’s useful to know, since it’s easier to fish up a meal than go all the way into town for some fish that’s probably been sitting in the sun for a while.”

“I only fished a few times with an uncle of mine,” Antonio said. “But it was out at sea, which I imagine is very different from fishing at a river.” 

“Of course it is. You can just sit at a dock instead of dealing with harsh waves. It’s very relaxing,” João explained. 

The scenery about them was a beautiful, haunting air. It had become quite chilly now, only because the forest foliage was blocking out most of the sun. Antonio clicked, hitting Catalina’s sides so she could trot around the cart to be at João’s side. He gave him a passing smile.

“How about you? Do you have any family?” he asked. 

“Not that I know of,” João said with a shrug. “I was raised in an orphanage, then on the streets once I got out and learned how to steal. It’s how I got so good. It’s all I’ve ever done my entire life.” He laughed softly and grinned at him. “I don’t mind now. I’m so rich now that I can’t hear my family problems over how much money I have,” he joked. 

“I see,” Antonio muttered, wondering if he asked a sensitive question too hastily. He took in the newfound information and rode on, seeing as how João was unbothered by the topic. Stealing was wrong, there was no romanticizing it, but then again, he did what he could to survive. The streets were unkind to all those who claim it to be home. João was a good man, Antonio just needed to get to know him a bit better. 

They turned down onto a path that would have been missed if João didn’t know the area perfectly. Antonio stayed silent for another few seconds before speaking up again.

“I’m pretty sure you have at least one friend. Cohort perhaps?” he said with a grin. “Ofelia seems like a pretty good listener.”

“Well, I suppose that’s true,” João laughed. “She is in a way my family. As soon as I had the money I bought her. She was a little young, but her mother wasn’t at the stable anymore, so I chose her.” He sighed and gave a small, fond tug on Ofelia’s reins. “I didn’t want to separate a horse from its mother, especially when they’re young, but since her mother was already sold off she needed someone to take her in and give her special attention. So I did, and I raised her to be the fastest horse anyone’s seen,” he boasted.

“Oh really?” Antonio asked, smirking. “I may surround myself with horses who had seen better days but when I was 17-, no 16 I was actually racing,” he bragged. “Y te lo juro I was really fast. I may have won some...unofficial races, but I was the most skilled jockey in Santiago.”

“Then why aren’t you doing that anymore?” João asked.

Antonio’s proud gleam quickly faded and he sighed. “I myself have seen better days. It’s all behind me now,” he said. He straightened his posture and held onto the reins tighter, trying to remember every turn of the path they have taken. “How much longer until we get there?” he asked. 

“Never. This is all a trick so I can kill you alone in the woods,” João said flatly, keeping a deadpan expression for a few seconds before bursting into laughter at Antonio’s horrified expression. “I’m just kidding. It’s right here,” he said. 

He pushed through the tall grass and bushes to enter a clearing where the treetops opened up to let sunlight through. A small, simple looking cottage sat in the clearing, next to an old worn dock that went far out over the wide, clear river. A well-kept stable sat next to the cottage. 

“This is where I live,” João said proudly. He hopped off the carts and untied the horses as Antonio hopped off of Catalina’s back to take in the very humble yet beautiful scenery. He would’ve never guessed a rich thief lived here. 

“It’s beautiful,” he complimented. 

“Thank you. Over here, there should be just enough room for all of the horses in here,” João said. He took El Domingo by the reins to lead the stubborn horse towards the stables as Ofelia trotted ahead to obediently take her spot inside to wait for him. 

“I’ll keep schedule,” Antonio promised as he followed him with Catalina. “This stable and the horses will always be in the best condition.” 

“It better be. I don’t want to waste my generosity and trust on a lazy stablehand,” João said. Once he got El Domingo in his stable, he went over to Ofelia to take everything off of her. “There you go, such a pretty horse aren’t you? Yes you are, you’re the best horse, so pretty,” he cooed, grabbing the brush to brush her off as Antonio got the reins off of Catalina and El Domingo. Antonio then walked around the stables to familiarize himself with the area as he listened to João continue to coo at Ofelia in Portuguese as he brushed her. It was still surprising to hear him be so sweet towards the horse, but it also made Antonio feel like he could trust him more. Anyone who was so caring towards his horse couldn’t be bad.

Once João was done brushing out Ofelia, he went over to the cart to get an apple and feed it to her. “I’m starving. Finish doing whatever you need with the horses and come inside for dinner,” he said. “Anything specific you’re in the mood for?” 

“As of now, I can eat anything,” Antonio said with a chuckle. “Even a quesadilla would do.”

“Well, I’ll make a little more than that. It is your first meal on the job after all,” he pointed out. “Come inside when you’re done, but don’t take too long or else it’ll be cold. I won’t keep it warm for you.” With that, he turned and went inside to rummage around in the cupboards to see what he could make. Once he finally got an idea, he got everything he needed out and then tried to start up the fires on the stove.

“Maybe that’s something I should do with my money,” he muttered. “Get a new stove. Stupid piece of junk.”

Antonio came in while João was preparing everything. “Do you need help with anything?” he asked. 

“I should have everything covered,” João assured him, waving him off. “You can go put your payment wherever you want to. Just not down in the cellar, that’s where I keep my money. I don’t want to confuse your money for my money.”

“Ah that reminds me. Where shall I sleep?” Antonio asked, gesturing to the whole space. 

“You know what, my generosity hasn’t run out yet. There’s some extra hay out in the stable, make yourself at home,” he joked. 

“It would not be the first time I’ve had horses as roommates!” Antonio laughed. 

João gave him a small nudge with his elbow before turning back to the stove, a grin on his face. “I’m kidding. I have a guest room, go put your stuff and money in there while I’m making dinner,” he instructed.

“That is even better! Gracias señor Medeiros I will do that,” Antonio said. “Let me help you first.”

“If you insist,” João said. He slid a couple of tomatoes over to him. “You can dice those up,” he said, turning to check on the pot of water on the stove. He then dumped some clams in it as Antonio set to work on cutting up the tomatoes, a small smile staying on his face. 

It wasn’t long before the meal was done, and Antonio sat down at the table as João served it onto two plates, smiling proudly at how good it looked. The savory scent of the meal filled the room, and Antonio’s stomach rumbled at the sight of the served dishes. 

“Would you like some wine to go with it? I’ve got plenty. Drinking alone isn’t very fun, but I can never refuse the pretty women that sell it,” João explained, opening up a cabinet to show the man bottles of wine that was in it. 

“Wine sounds perfect,” Antonio agreed, though he mentally scolded himself as he watched João pour the glasses of wine for them. He’s your boss, you should be pouring the glasses for him! he thought. 

João set the glasses down on the table and sat across from Antonio with a small smile. “Would you like to say grace?” he offered. Antonio nodded slightly and made the sign of the cross, with João doing the motions as well.

“Te damos gracias Padre,” Antonio began, closing his eyes and pressing his hands together in silent reverence as João did the same. “For the food we are about to eat and I want to give a special thanks for the one who prepared the food, for I am glad we crossed paths. May you watch over him and bless him like you have always done for me. Thank you for giving us yet another day. Virgencita Maria, all the angels and saints, watch over all of us tonight. We ask for this in your name, amen,” he finished. He did another sign of the cross before turning his attention towards the food. João waited to eat, deciding to watch Antonio’s reaction first as Antonio took a spoonful and ate it. His eyes widened in amazement. 

“This is delicious,” he complimented. “Is this your own recipe?”

“I remembered seeing a dish a few times in a shop before. I tried to recreate it a long time ago, but I ended up changing a few things here and there. I kept changing it until I got to this,” João explained proudly. “And it was so good that I decided to keep it.”

“Why didn’t you just ask them for the recipe? I’m sure they could’ve written it down for you,” Antonio pointed out. João hesitated and took a bite of food to stall for a second of time, which Antonio didn’t notice. 

“It was more fun to try to figure it out on my own,” he finally defended. 

“That’s true. You have quite the talent in cooking. If the job promises good meals like this every day, then consider me employed for life,” Antonio chuckled, accepting the excuse. 

“Who said I was always going to cook?” João scoffed. “I might not always be around for proper meals.”

“True,” Antonio agreed. He took a careful sip of his wine and then looked back at João. “You know I am really grateful for you taking me in like this. No one has been this kind to me before.”

“It’s not that big of a deal,” João said, waving him off. “You’re doing me a favor in return anyways. Now if Ofelia gets sick I can use Catalina or El Domingo instead.”

“I would suggest Catalina,” Antonio said. “She was a racehorse in her prime. El Domingo was a farm horse, so he wouldn’t be the best for quick escapes.” 

“You’re useful already,” João chuckled. “I have to admit, this is nice. I hardly get anyone visiting me out here, unless it’s one of my messenger boys. I thought I was going to go mad from the silence.”

“I know what you mean. Horses can only do so much,” Antonio agreed as he finished up his meal. “Usually when I was feeling lonely, I would play my guitar. Only I wish I could have brought mine with me, but my old boss was so angry at me that he did not let me gather what little I had to my name.” He sighed, his dish now empty. “That was a good little guitar,” he lamented. “I’ll have to buy a new one when I get the chance.”

“He didn’t let you take any of your stuff with you? What an ass,” João scoffed as he ate the last few bites of his meal too.

“I’ll just buy new clothes and shoes and a new guitar tomorrow. I didn’t lose anything important,” Antonio assured him. “The most important thing I own is right--” He froze as he clasped his hand over his chest, then felt around his shirt. “Oh no,” he said, starting to panick.

“What’s wrong?” João asked, confused. 

“My medallion. How could I be so careless!” Antonio whined. “It was my mother’s San Francisco de Asis medallion. It was the only thing I inherited from my parents!” Tears pricked at his eyes as he held his head in his hands. “I had dirtied it yesterday so I took it off, thinking I was going to wash it later that day. I must’ve left it on the stand near my cot,” he whined. “How could I leave that there?!”

João sighed heavily and drained the last of his wine from his glass. Well, it’s only a stable. It wouldn’t be that difficult to get into. he thought. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. We’ll go out tomorrow and see if he’s selling it anywhere,” he assured him, patting Antonio’s back. “Go get settled in your room for the night, I’m going to take care of the dishes and then go say goodnight to Ofelia.” 

Antonio sadly got up and shuffled into his room, not even protesting. João was surprised at it, but didn’t question it. It only made it easier for him. He tossed the dishes into the basin of water to wash later and then headed outside to greet Ofelia. 

“Hey girl,” he cooed, gently scratching behind her ears. “Ready to go out for a real job tonight? It’s not much, but it’ll be fun.” He made sure he adjusted the saddle and the straps on her snug enough that they wouldn’t slip off, but not too tight that it would hurt her. He even attached a couple of saddlebags to her and grabbed all of his proper tools before he hopped up on her back and grabbed the reins. 

“Quietly now,” he whispered, leading her out back onto the path at a soft trot. Once they were on the main path, he took off, back towards the city once more as the stars started to appear overhead. He wasn’t too happy about needing to go out again, and he wondered several times why he was even doing this for a stranger he just met yesterday. Then again, he did owe this man his life, and it wasn’t like he couldn’t do anything about his forgotten stuff. So off he went back towards the stables.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all for now! Thanks for reading, comment and kudos if you liked it, we would really appreciate it! See you at the next update!


	3. The Medallion Returned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been almost a year, but at long last there's a new chapter! My motivation to write this has slowly gotten better, so hopefully it won't be almost another year before the next chapter comes out.

João didn’t return until late the next morning. He was nearly falling asleep in the saddle, with cuts and bruises all over his body. His clothes were torn, his hair was a mess and out of its ribbon, and there were dark circles under his eyes from hardly being able to sleep yet. However, in the two saddlebags on Ofelia were all of Antonio’s clothes, and João wore the medallion, polished and gleaming, around his neck with the guitar slung over his shoulder. He trudged inside after taking everything off of Ofelia and dropped the bags and guitar on the couch, with the medallion hung around the guitar’s neck so it didn’t get lost. He then dragged himself into his room and collapsed on the bed, not even bothering to get undressed or even take his shoes off before he fell asleep. He didn’t even hear when Antonio woke up and shuffled out of his room, despite the floorboards creaking loudly.

Antonio rubbed his strained neck painfully as he walked out into the main room. It had been a rough night for him. He yawned as he made his way towards the kitchen, but stopped when something gleamed in the corner of his eye, catching his attention. He gasped when he saw all of his stuff piled up on the couch, instantly snapping awake. He went over and gingerly took the medallion off of the guitar, draping the gold chain around his own neck. He smiled warmly and went into the kitchen, expecting to see João in there.

“Buenas días señor--” He stopped when he saw that João wasn’t there after all. He pouted and set about searching the entire house and the stables for him, leaving his bedroom for last. Once he determined that there was nowhere else that João could be, he lightly knocked on the door.

“Señor Medeiros?” he called out softly. He cracked the door open and peeked inside, seeing João laying on his bed. “Señor?” he asked again. Seeing the cuts and dried blood all over him, he instantly rushed in and shook him. “Señor Medeiros! João!” he said frantically. He stopped when João groaned and flung one arm over his eyes as the other flopped around in Antonio’s general direction to try to get him to shut up.

“What do you want? I’m tired,” he muttered, and Antonio sighed in relief.

“I was so worried when I saw you,” Antonio explained softly. “You’re hurt.”

“It can wait. I’m tired,” João complained, turning over away from him and tugging the blankets over himself. He hissed softly in pain as his body protested at the movement, but tried to settle down and get comfortable in the soft bed anyways.

“What happened?” Antonio asked.

“I went and stole your stuff back for you. The horses got startled when I snuck in. I’m glad they were old and not so strong anymore, otherwise I surely wouldn’t have escaped with just a few bruises from them kicking me,” João grumbled, his voice muffled slightly by his pillow. “Then when I found your stuff, right after I got all of it gathered up, I was almost caught. I had to jump out the window. There was a bush that broke my fall, but it was more sharp sticks and thorns than leaves.”

“We need to get you cleaned up,” Antonio said, trying to peel the blanket off of him.

“No,” João grumbled stubbornly. “I’m tired, leave me alone.”

“Not until you’re cleaned up,” Antonio insisted, tugging the blanket off of him. It resulted in a small scuffle that lasted several seconds of João trying to pull the blanket back over himself while Antonio tried to wrestle it away from him. João proved to be triumphant, despite being injured, and he cocooned himself tight in the blanket so Antonio couldn’t pull it off again.

“Go away,” João muttered from under the blanket.

“Señor please you might be getting blood on your sheets,” Antonio whined. That made João instantly snap awake and kick the blanket away from him, though the sudden movement made him hiss and curl up slightly from pain. Antonio sighed and gently lifted the blanket up to inspect it for blood. It was thankfully clean, along with the bed from what he could see.

“Go get some water and a rag. I can wash myself off,” João instructed. Antonio saluted and hurried out, not coming back for quite a few minutes. João was about to get up and do it himself when Antonio finally came back in with a pitcher of warm water, a bowl, a bottle of ethanol, and a couple of rags.

“What took you so long?” João asked.

“I had to heat up the water,” Antonio explained, setting everything down on the floor next to the bed. “Let me get your back. You have more cuts there I think,” he said.

João rolled his eyes but carefully peeled the scraps of his shirt off to toss it to the side. “I’m going to have to get a new shirt now,” he grumbled as he turned around.

Antonio rolled his eyes as João expressed despair over his shirt. He soaked one rag in the warm water and squeezed the excess water out of it before getting to work. He pressed the warm rag against his back, taking note of when João flinched as he tried to be as gentle as possible. He washed off the dirt and blood, wincing at the sight of the bruises and scratches that littered his back.

“Here, let me get your face too,” he said.

“I can do it myself,” João insisted, not bothering to hide how irritated he was. “Go make yourself breakfast and get to work on your chores.”

“I can do it faster. Let me do it,” Antonio argued, and João growled softly before turning around and crossing his arms stubbornly over his chest.

“Nothing more than that then,” he muttered.

“I would get it done faster,” Antonio repeated as he gently wiped off João's face, and João rolled his eyes.

“I am not so injured that I cannot move on my own,” he retorted.

“I understand, but if you do it you might miss a cut. Then that cut could get infected and then before you know it, the world famous Cygnus Thief was done in by a small injury,” Antonio reasoned. João looked even more annoyed with his reasoning, but it was more so that Antonio was right that annoyed him. However he stayed silent as he let Antonio wipe off his face, trying to hide his wincing every time Antonio pressed a little too hard.

“You better not use this as an excuse to slack off on your chores for today,” he muttered. “Because if I decide you aren’t worthy of being my stablehand, I have to kill you. You already know too much about me and where I live.”

The reminder chilled Antonio to the bone, and he couldn’t help but shiver at the thought. He kept his mouth shut as he moved on to clean the few scratches on João’s chest and arms, but hesitated when he finished.

“Ah, may I?” he asked, gesturing to João’s pants. João scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

“You’ll get it done faster,” he mocked, poorly imitating Antonio’s voice.

“I don’t sound like that!” Antonio argued as he started to tug João’s pants down.

“Yes you do,” João said simply, turning his head away to try to hide the light blush tinting his cheeks. Antonio was about to snap back another retort before he pulled off João’s pants and realized why the renowned thief looked mildly embarrassed. He immediately dropped João’s pants to cover his eyes and quickly reddening face.

“Dios mio why are you not wearing anything under your pants?!” he cried.

“I’m a thief! I have to have my clothes fit as tight as possible, or else they’ll get caught on things and make noise,” João defended, quickly grabbing the blanket to cover himself. “I thought you would be okay with it! Why didn’t you care about me taking my shirt off?”

“That’s-- That’s different!” Antonio stammered, nearly knocking the bucket of water over in his haste to get up. “I-I’m going to go...take care of the horses. I think they’re going to want their breakfast.” He tripped over his own feet as he scrambled to leave.

João scoffed and rolled his eyes when Antonio slammed the door shut behind himself. He set to work cleaning off the scratches on his legs and disinfecting them with the ethanol as best he could. Once he got all of the cuts and scratches he could reach, he laid down and pulled his blanket back over himself to try to go back to sleep, deciding none of the scratches were bad enough to waste bandages on. He fell asleep almost immediately in the plush bed and blankets, the only things he showed his wealth in.

Meanwhile, Antonio went into the kitchen to fix himself a quick breakfast before going outside to the stables to do his usual work. He couldn’t help but feel worried anyways for João’s wellbeing, so he worked on making the stables clean and tidy as quickly as he could and getting the horses their food.

“I would brush your coats today,” he announced to the horses, “but your master needs me more. Hopefully the next time he asks for my help he will have clothes on.” He then went back inside and began tidying up the entire inside of the house. He began lunch, and unpacked his clothes from the saddlebags that still sat in the living room. He smiled as he picked up his guitar and plucked the strings. He winced slightly.

“Out of tune, like always,” he sighed. He began tuning the strings by ear and when everything sounded pleasing to him he began warming up. He began strumming lightly until it gained intensity in each passing moment, dexterous fingers plucking individual steel strings with ease, playing many notes in harmonious melody. He closed his eyes and tapped his foot, feeling the music. It warmed his heart and nothing else mattered. He played for himself and he played for the noble thief resting in his room.

Said noble thief that was trying to rest was woken up by the playing and groaned softly in annoyance at his sleep being disturbed. He rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but he couldn’t help but listen in to the music. The beautiful melody soon caught his attention more and a small smile tugged at his lips when he realized that he was definitely right in getting Antonio his guitar back with the rest of his things. He was disappointed when Antonio stopped after plucking the wrong note.

Antonio soon poked his head into the room. “Señor Medeiros?” he called out softly. “Are you awake?”

“I’m up. What do you want?” João groaned, propping himself up on an elbow and looking at him.

“Lunch is almost ready, are you hungry?” Antonio asked.

“Of course I am,” João said with a yawn. “I’ll be there in a minute, once I get some clothes on. But please, don’t call me Medeiros. Only people that don’t know me call me that. It’s my public image, like a prostitute’s different name. Just João is fine.”

“Sorry, it’s just I...I wasn’t raised that way. But if you insist, João...the food is almost ready,” Antonio said before leaving. He sighed as he went back into the dining room to set the table and serve the food.

“I hope he likes ham,” he muttered to himself.

It wasn’t long before João came out, dressed in loose fitting clothes and still looking half asleep. He yawned and stretched his arms above his head before he sat down at the table.

“It smells delicious,” he complimented. “Is this one of your recipes too?”

“Gracias pero no,” Antonio said with a shrug. “It was one of my mother’s old recipes. This one I tried to follow exactly as how she would cook it.” He sighed as he took his place at the table. “In spite of everything, I am really glad you went back to get my stuff,” he admitted, admiring the gold piece around his neck.

“It wasn’t that big of a deal,” João scoffed, waving him off. “Just some kicks from horses and some thorns. I’ve dealt with far worse,” he boasted.

“Still, I am glad you’re okay, and I appreciate you getting it. My medallion especially,” Antonio said, smiling softly at him. “I’m usually never without it, but I was just stupidly careless that time…” He trailed off, inspecting the medallion again. “Ha, and you even polished it. It looks brand new. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I passed by a jewelry shop on the way back and decided that it wasn’t worth bringing you back a dingy medallion,” João explained casually.

“There was a shop open that late that was willing to polish it for you?”

“I never said the shop was open.”

"Then how did you get it polished?"

João stared blankly and silently at Antonio, and Antonio stared back in confusion as he waited for an answer. He wondered briefly why João was looking at him like that just for asking how he got into the jewelry shop when it was closed. Finally it all clicked.

"...Did you break into the shop just to polish my medallion?"

“Yes.”

“Why? It’s just a medallion.”

"I've broken into higher security places for less."

Antonio wasn’t sure whether to feel flattered that João broke into a jewelry shop for him just to polish his medallion or worried that João broke in somewhere over something so small and didn’t even show any guilt over it.

“Anyways, do you want to say grace again or should I?” João asked, dropping the previous topic as if it were nothing

Antonio took a moment to compose himself before he sighed and gave him a weak smile. “I think you should say it this time,” he said. “We can take turns. One meal I say grace, the next meal you say it.”

“That sounds fair,” João agreed, making the sign of the cross. He folded his hands and bowed his head, murmuring out the prayers in his own language. The words flowed out smoothly and lightly, like a melody of his own. Antonio didn't quite understand what he said but picked up on some familiar sounding words. He wondered if João would be willing to teach him Portuguese.

João finished up with an amen and made the cross again as Antonio followed. They both went to eating silently until João spoke up.

“Would you mind playing your guitar again later?” he asked. “It was nice to wake up to, you're very skilled.”

Antonio felt his cheeks warm at the compliment. Only the horses had ever gotten to appreciate his lonely performances. Still, it was a nice change.

“S-Sure,” he stammered, smiling back at him. “I would have any excuse to play. But first, I have to do my chores. How does an exclusive performance in the evening sound?”

“An exclusive performance?” João repeated with a small laugh. “That sounds good.” He noted Antonio's embarrassment and grinned. “What, were you that abused at that stable that you aren't used to getting compliments?” he teased. Antonio could not help but laugh himself, rubbing the back of his neck unsurely with calloused fingers.

“Well, I wouldn't say abused. Eh, perhaps slightly intimidated,” he admitted. “But I had my reasons.”

João hummed in response, taking a couple more bites of food as he wondered why Antonio would get fired over just losing a couple of horses. He wasn't really a bad worker, it was actually the opposite. He had just been there for a day and João felt like he barely had to lift a finger with him around.

“You realize your job is only in the stables, right?” he asked, glancing around the clean kitchen. “You don't have to bother cleaning the house.”

Antonio felt his blood run cold at João's words. “Oh, um, yes, about that,” he started to say, without really knowing what to say. He couldn't exactly tell him that he was restless that night because he was anxious, especially after being told not to wait up for him. He couldn't help himself, worrying over a friend which he grew fond of so quickly. But there João was expecting a straight answer. _Speak you fool!_ his mind screamed.

“Mm th-the floors were so damn filthy,” he grumbled, crossing his arms and giving a soft frown. “Someone had to clean them.”

João stared at him confused for a moment and then laughed. “Well, I guess I do sometimes forget to take off my shoes. Thank you for cleaning the house up, I'm sorry for my floors being so damn filthy,” he mocked with a small smirk. “If I had known I would be having a guest staying with me for a while I would have made sure to clean my house up before.”

Antonio inwardly groaned, ready to bang his head repeatedly on the table. _Pendejo!_ he mentally hissed. He picked at his food, visibly upset. João watched him curiously as he nibbled on his own food. He didn't understand what made Antonio so upset. He cleared his throat to try to change the topic.

“Er, also as a warning there may be kids dropping by. They handle telling me when I have a request and from what city,” he explained. Antonio perked up immediately.

“Then I should notify you if they come?” he asked. “What would happen if you were already out doing another job?”

“They never arrive at night. It's too dangerous for them to try to travel the forest at night, they aren't experts in riding,” João assured him, waving him off. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes as he ran his hand through his hair. “I think I will go lay back down for a while longer,” he mumbled. “I am still exhausted after all of the excitement of the past two days.”

Antonio nodded in full understanding. “You should rest,” he agreed. “I will clean up.” He stood up and gathered their dishes up to take to the basin, but João got up and stopped him.

“No, I just said you don't need to do the chores inside,” he said stubbornly.

“I know but you need to rest,” Antonio defended, frowning at João. João scoffed and took the dishes from him.

“It doesn't hurt that badly,” he lied. It felt like his body was aching all over from the various injuries, but his pride refused to sit there while Antonio did all of the work. Antonio was not entirely convinced. He had seen the wounds, and out of all people, Antonio knew for a fact what it felt like to be kicked by a horse. Still, he let João take the dishes out of his hands.

“How about we alternate then?” he suggested. “I can do the dishes after the next meal.” João paused, thinking it over for a moment before nodding in agreement.

“That is fair,” he said. Antonio brightened up, thankful he was able to convince the prideful thief.

“I'll get the water,” he offered, even though he didn't want to leave João alone in the cottage. For all he knew, he could have fractured a rib. He left anyways, and with strong, able arms he carried back two buckets full of water with ease. He made a mental note to warm up bathwater later in the evening. He filled up the basin, making sure not to splash João.

João grumbled a soft ‘thanks’ under his breath and set to work on washing the dishes, humming a light tune. He didn't want to admit it, but he couldn't have gotten the water without hurting himself more and possibly reopening a few wounds. Antonio stood by awkwardly, not sure whether to stay or leave for the stables. He was worried about João, but he did not want to be overbearing.

“I will be at the stables,” he stated. “If you need anything…don’t hesitate to ask.”

Joao paused in his humming and his washing to look over at him and smile more. “I'll be fine,” he assured him. “Thank you again for agreeing to help out. I don't think I could have managed to take care of three horses on my own. If you ever need to leave to get fresh air or to get something from town, just follow the path out. There's a group of stones that mark where it starts, and it's a straight path out to the main road. There’s a boulder next to the main road to find the entrance again. Go left onto the main path and the nearest town is a thirty minute ride.”

“I will be sure to remember that,” Antonio answered with a slight chuckle as he headed out the door. He walked towards the stables, now humming to the same tune of João’s song as he worked. He occasionally added some notes and altered a few others, but he hoped the inspiration of the original melody remained.

While Antonio worked, João finished up the dishes and even swept the floors despite the pain. After Antonio's comment, he was feeling more subconscious about the state of his house. The thought made him pause in the middle of his sweeping. Why did it matter how his house looked like for Antonio? He never bothered caring about it for the messenger boys that came through. He sighed and went back to sweeping, pushing it to the back of his mind. Once he was done, he shuffled off to his room and tugged off his clothes to flop onto his bed. He pulled the covers over himself and fell asleep again, sleeping soundly throughout the entire afternoon and evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all for now! Thank you for reading, and please leave a comment if you enjoyed it! 
> 
> Also, please consider commissioning me for art, fanfic, or even tarot readings! More info here: http://aph--portugay.tumblr.com/post/172769266868/click-on-the-pics-for-better-quality-hey-guys


	4. A Necklace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry, this is a HELLA long chapter. its hard to find a good stopping point, sometimes you just have to make your own.

The first thing that Antonio noticed when he walked back into the cottage was the floors, or rather the cleanliness of them. He had a mind to sweep them again anyways, reasons being the comment he abruptly said earlier. But he walked around and noticed the broom leaning against a corner which he did not remember putting it last. Antonio shrugged and walked to João's room, carefully opening the door to check on him. Of course João was sleeping.

Antonio lingered, making sure that his chest was rising and falling in a normal rhythm before he smiled and closed the door with caution so that he didn't wake up the noble thief. He drew water for a bath, setting the fire to boil a bit of it in a pot on the stove. It was a well deserved bath, he assured himself as he scrubbed the dirt and sweat off.

After depositing the used bathwater outside, he went back inside to grab his guitar, eager to practice what he learned earlier from the melody João was humming. Stepping out the front door, he tuned his guitar and warmed up his fingers. The night sky twinkled above him, but he kept focus on his strumming, feeling each passing note. It was just him and his music, well, João's music. He passed his fingers over the strings, finishing the song. He smiled widely, proud of himself. _When he wakes up, this is what I'm going to play,_ he decided.

João didn't wake up until an hour and a half after Antonio was finished with his playing, well rested and feeling even more sore and stiff than he was before. He sat up and tried to stretch his arms above his head, only to hiss in pain and curl in on himself slightly as his wounds were stretched and pulled at. He got settled back down on the bed and laid there, about to fall asleep again, but his stomach growled in protest from him not eating since that morning.

With a defeated sigh, he carefully pushed his way out of bed and stiffly shuffled out of his room and towards the kitchen just as Antonio was re-entering the cottage. Antonio blinked a couple of times, surprised to see João up and about already.

“Hey,” he said softly, trying not to startle him, though João still gave a small jolt of surprise. “How are you feeling?” he asked with a small smile. João straightened up to try to hide his pain and gave him a grin in return.

“Great. Good as new,” he lied, leaning against the couch. “How about you? Are you well?” he asked, trying to distract himself from the pain with small talk.

“I'm doing well,” Antonio replied unsurely, leaning his guitar against the wall. He wondered why João suddenly seemed more confident than usual. “I imagine you are hungry. I haven't eaten anything yet either.”

“I'm starving. I was just about to make something,” João agreed with a nod. He slowly moved to sit down on the couch to try to subtly lessen the pain. The last thing he needed was Antonio worrying about him more, though it only made Antonio more suspicious. He could tell that something wasn't right.

“I can cook,” he announced, walking towards the kitchen. “It will not be a feast, but I can promise it will be good.”

“No!” João said, pushing himself off of the couch. He stopped and doubled over slightly, hissing softly in pain as he sank back down onto the couch.

“I knew it!” Antonio said, whirling around and hurrying over to João's side. “You can't strain yourself, you're going to make it worse. Where does it hurt?” he asked, managing to stand back a little to give João space. João groaned and waved him off.

“It doesn't hurt anywhere, give it a rest,” he retorted, his pride setting in now. “I can make dinner Antonio, go back to doing whatever you were doing.”

Antonio shook his head defiantly. “I'm not letting this go so easily. I know how it feels. I have gotten the air knocked out of me and I was in bed for weeks. You should do the same,” he insisted. He stood in front of João, offering a silent challenge. João glared up at him.

“It doesn't even hurt that much. I've dealt with worse on my own and I've still managed to make dinner,” he defended.

“You may have done so in the past because you had no choice,” Antonio rebutted, crossing his arms. “But this time you are not alone. I am just trying to help.”

João glared coldly up at him for several more seconds before sighing heavily in defeat and flopping back against the couch. “I hate you. So damn much,” he grumbled, crossing his arms childishly over his chest. Antonio sighed in relief at João's reluctant agreement. He was as stubborn as he was no doubt, but at least he complied this time. _Why do I even care so much?_ he pondered. _He is just another boss._ His stance dropped in favor of a more calm approach, and he gave João a gentle pat on the shoulder.

“Go get comfortable in bed. I'll let you know when dinner is ready,” he murmured. João swatted his hand away and scoffed.

“I don't need to be ordered around by my stable boy,” he retorted, his pride wounded from having to back down to someone that was supposed to be his subordinate.

Antonio's cheeks flushed from frustration. “I am not just a stable boy,” he said, hurt and offended. But he held firm, knowing that João was injured. “Please João, I mean this as your friend. You need to rest."

João paused, visibly surprised. “Friend?” he repeated, then narrowed his eyes. “You think I'm going to fall for such a clear lie?”

“What? João, you are my friend. You gave me a job and a place to stay when I had nowhere to go,” Antonio defended.

“Only because you didn't hand me over to the guards,” João reasoned, crossing his arms over his chest. Antonio frowned and sat down next to him.

“João please. I _am_ your friend, and as your friend I'm worried about you,” he said softly. “If you won't let me make dinner by myself, then how about we make it together? It will be easier on you.”

João stayed silent for several moments, thinking it over before he sighed and slowly got to his feet. “Fine,” he agreed reluctantly. Antonio brightened up and stood up as well.

“Great! What do you think we should make? Ah, I'm craving something warm and soupy, something with tomatoes,” Antonio rambled as he made his way into the kitchen with João trailing behind him. “Do you have garlic? Oh, my cousins love tomatoes and garlic, but I suppose that's because they're half Italian.” Antonio started to look through the cupboards and get ingredients out as he continued to ramble on. João listened and watched him with a perplexed look on his face.

“Half Italian cousins?” he asked. “How did your family manage that?”

“It's a funny story, really. I'll have to tell it to you sometime. My uncle tells it so much better though,” Antonio mused, then brightened up. “It's been a while since I've visited them. Maybe I should go sometime, if you don't mind of course.”

“No!” João shouted, startling even himself with his sudden outburst. Antonio flinched and stopped, looking at him in surprise at the shout.

“I'm sorry, you did just take me in. I didn't mean to talk about vacations so soon,” he reasoned. João took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

“It's not that,” he grumbled. His tongue felt heavy in his mouth as he gripped the counter. “It-- It gets so damn lonely here. It's been just me, and the occasional page. You can leave, but...promise you'll come back, and not stay away for too long.”

Antonio blinked a couple of times, surprised even more. The noble thief seemed distressed, sad even. It had hurt him to hear what João had to say, but it pained him more to see him in this state. He knew what it was like to be alone and feel lonely.

“Hey,” he called out softly, approaching him from behind and resting a hand on João's shoulder. He noted the tension slowly melting from him and sighed in relief. “I'm...I'm not going anywhere. At least, not for a while,” he assured him. João relaxed more and turned around to look at him once he cooled off a bit more.

“I don't mean to keep you here like a caged bird,” he sighed. “You can go visit if you want to, but please come back and don't stay too long. I really do hate how quiet it gets when it's just me.”

“No, I didn't mean it in that way. What I meant to say is...” Antonio paused, pursing his lips as he figured out how to continue. He cast his eyes down and to the side, not ready to look at him directly. “I won't be leaving you, not so soon.” He glanced back up and gave him a small smile. “Besides, who said you can't come with me when I go?” he asked. João returned the gentle smile and rubbed the back of his neck.

“I've only been to Italy a couple times. From what I've seen, it's a beautiful country,” he mused. “It would be nice to visit again sometime.” Antonio's smile grew wider as he could feel the contentedness rise to his chest.

“Great! I'll send them a letter then, so they will be ready,” he promised.

“We need to be careful about it, with me being a wanted man,” João pointed out with a sigh as he leaned against the counter. He hissed in pain when the corner of the counter pressed right up against a scratch and stood up straight again. “Bad idea,” he muttered. Antonio's reaction was almost instinctual as he moved closer to lightly touch his back to make sure he was well and unharmed, and more importantly that nothing was bleeding still.

“Let's not open any more wounds,” he chuckled, resting the hand on his back a little more surely to lead him away from the counter. “Alright, what are we eating today?” he asked, his smile still bright.

“Soup sounds good,” João mused. “Especially with tomatoes. I have too many around here anyways, the girl that sells them always tries so hard, and she's so sweet.” He opened up a cupboard and pulled out a bucket filled with tomatoes. “See? But they take a long time to go bad,” he explained.

“Something tells me you are out for more than the quality of the tomatoes,” Antonio teased, though it found it strange that he had to take extra effort to smile. João couldn't help but laugh at the accusation.

“Well, I suppose it would not be wrong to say that I would not mind her company,” João joked. “Not much more however.” Antonio cleared his throat and tried to push away the strange sense of happiness he felt at hearing that.

“Anyways, tomato soup, estillo España,” he said. He took a couple of tomatoes out at a time and began preparing them, using that special touch he learned from his uncle and cousins.

“You're pretty good at that,” João noted as he watched him.

“I spent a good half of my childhood in Italy,” Antonio explained, reminiscing with a warm smile. “Apart from fishing in the ocean, I learned how to cook and even a bit of fencing. My uncle inspired me to play guitar. He always believed in pursuing some form of art. He gave me that worn old guitar.” He motioned to the guitar leaning against the wall. “After he found out I can't draw or write a lyric to save my life. He was the kind of person to believe anyone, and I mean anyone, has potential.”

Antonio took a moment's silence before his face lit up as if he remembered something. “I'm sorry,” he began, “I'm sure I'm boring you with stories about my family. I tend to ramble a lot.”

“You aren't boring me at all,” João assured him. “It's nice to listen and imagine what a family is like, since I never got to see for myself.”

“I bet you'll love them. My uncle has a way of getting along with everyone,” Antonio chuckled, though he felt a small pang of sadness from João's casual comment.

“I'm excited to meet them,” João agreed. “Once I get better and finish up the jobs that I'm currently hired for then we can go.” He smirked at Antonio. “I have to make sure I'm fit to jump around and get away quickly, and for a night that it isn't raining,” he joked. “I can't have any more stablehands showing up here. Just one asshole is enough for me.”

Antonio could not help but half heartily at the playful banter. “I was not aware that stablehands are at a higher risk of meeting jerk thieves that made their boss's horses disappear,” he remarked, a bright smile on his face again as he sliced the tomatoes. He liked the ambiance, it brought him the chance to let his cheerful disposition shine.

He continued the preparations as João stood by and watched. Despite João's earlier insistence on making dinner, he knew better than to get in the way of someone that was focused on making a meal just so. Soon a pot was filled with a warm, thick red soup. When it was ready, João helped him serve it into two bowls and got out some bread to eat with it.

“Well, I tried my best,” Antonio sighed. “It is my cousin's recipe.”

“It smells delicious,” João assured him, patting Antonio's shoulder. He set the table with plates and silverware and then went to the cooler to check inside and rummage around. Antonio peeked over his shoulder and poked an ice cube.

“I have some, uh...milk, and...orange juice. I could boil some water for you if you'd like, ah I don't think wine would go well with tomato soup,” João muttered, mostly rambling to himself. He closed the door on the cooler to keep the ice from getting too warm and frowned in thought as he looked outside. “It's starting to near twilight, I suppose I could run into town and get something,” he mused.

“No, the last thing I want to do is send you out to get something for me,” Antonio sighed, taking his place at the table. “Just juice is fine, gracias.”

“You had no problem when I went out and got your stuff,” João pointed out with a grin as he got the bottle out. “Which you didn't show any appreciation for,” he teased. “Not even a thank you kiss.”

“I did say I was grateful!” Antonio defended, heat rising to his cheeks.

“Ah, did you? I must have missed it,” João teased as he poured juice into two glasses. Antonio huffed and moved to take the two glasses to the table as João put the bottle back in the cooler.

“Well I am grateful,” he mumbled, taking a seat. “I know it must not have been easy.”

João barked out a laugh at this and sat down at the table across from Antonio. “I could have done that in my sleep,” he said, waving him off.

“You got kicked by horses and fell out of the loft into a bush.”

“I'm a thief known for getting away every time, not for being perfectly silent.”

“You almost got caught.”

“'Almost' is what has kept me alive for so long,” João pointed out with a cheeky grin. “I know it frustrates the guard. Every time they fail to catch me my bounty goes way up.”

Antonio frowned and sipped at his juice some more. “You only got saved because of me,” he grumbled.

“Which is why you are here working for me and not knocking on the pearly gates of heaven right now,” João said cheerfully. It chilled Antonio to the bone, and it made Antonio remember that this was no ordinary man that he was working for. This was a hardened criminal, one that had fought tooth and nail to stay alive and would continue to fight.

João sensed his uneasiness and cleared his throat to try to change the topic, and he opened his mouth to say something, only to be interrupted by a knock at the door. First two, then three, then two again. João paused for a few seconds before one more knock came and he sighed in relief.

“Wait here,” he instructed, getting up to answer the door, but Antonio couldn't help but turn to watch him through the doorway of the kitchen. He caught a glimpse of a young boy at the door, holding out a letter for João.

“You got another job,” he said. “A necklace, really big. It's got turquoise from across the seas.”

“Really? Another job?” João asked, surprised as he took the letter and opened it. On the letter was a drawing of a necklace, his supposed target. “Well, I guess it can't be helped. Come inside for a moment.” He turned and led the boy inside after making sure nobody else was outside watching them. Antonio watched them go down into the cellar, hearing their muffled conversation but not picking up anything more. After several minutes they came back up, the boy clutching his pouch to his chest. Antonio noted a faint clinking coming from the pouch.

“Here, you must be hungry from the travel. Would you like to stay for dinner? We are having tomato soup,” João offered. The boy lit up at the offer and smiled.

“Yes please,” he said, following João to the dinner table.

“Antonio this is Luciano, my page for any jobs in the north side of Madrid. Luciano this is Antonio, my stablehand,” João introduced them before going to serve Luciano a bowl of tomato soup as well, scraping the rest of the soup out of the pot.

“It's nice to meet you Luciano,” Antonio said, holding out his hand. The kid looked at Antonio warily.

“He wasn't here the other day when I gave you the order for the pocket watch,” he muttered, ignoring the offered handshake and instead sitting down at the table.

“Ah, about that. He helped me escape on that run,” João explained, setting the bowl down with a spoon in front of Luciano.

“You didn't take Ofelia?” Luciano asked.

“No, of course not. It was raining,” João sighed. “I don't get why he needed to have that stupid thing right away anyways. I should have waited until it was not raining, the patron's requests be damned.” He huffed and took another sip of his juice. “Well, at least that run is over and done with,” he grumbled. “Hopefully this one is easier.”

“Speaking of which, did you hear how much they raised your bounty after the pocket watch was stolen?” Luciano asked curiously. This made João pause and smirk.

“How much?” he asked, though Antonio felt his heart drop in dread. A raised bounty only meant a higher risk of João dying.

“They almost doubled it. It's close to two thousand coins of gold now,” Luciano said nonchalantly, then started to eat his soup. João clapped his hands together and laughed as Antonio choked on his juice.

“Ah, I knew those bastards weren't done at a thousand,” João sighed, shaking his head.

“Two thousand gold pieces?!” Antonio repeated. João and Luciano looked at him surprised at the outburst, though there was suspicion in João's eyes.

“Yes, it's normal for a thief of my caliber. Is there a problem?” João asked, narrowing his eyes. Antonio flinched back and raised his hands up in defense.

“No! No, I'm just surprised. That's a lot of money,” he explained quickly. João scoffed and took a bite of soup.

“I suppose. I should be worth much more,” he grumbled. “That's only for the heists that they can pin on me.”

“The ones they can pin on you?” Antonio asked.

“I don't always almost get caught. Usually they go off without a hitch,” João explained, waving him off. Antonio pouted, wanting to point out that he just said earlier that he wasn't known for not getting caught, but didn't push it further and instead focused on eating his soup. João and Luciano spoke to each other in Portuguese in between bites of their own soup. Antonio tried to tune them out.

Antonio finished his portion first, and got up to start to wash his bowl and the pot. João noticed this and frowned.

“Hey, you don't have to wash the dishes. You cooked after all,” he protested.

“No, it's only fair. It's my turn to wash dishes,” Antonio assured him, waving him off. “Ah, but don't feel like I'm rushing you. I will get to your bowls after you're done.” João sighed and rolled his eyes, but he and Luciano stopped chatting as much and focused instead on eating anyways. Antonio focused on scrubbing the pot and used utensils clean. It was easy, since it was only soup and juice.

“I think next time,” he started, “I will add a few pieces of saltwater fish to boil in there. It would be a nice consumé.”

“I'll have to pick up some saltwater fish then,” João agreed.

“About that,” Antonio sighed, pausing in his scrubbing to look over his shoulder at João. “We, well, I have some things that need to be stocked up. Now that you have three horses, the food supply can run low quickly. I would like to hitch up El Domingo and Catalina and go to the market tomorrow for some errands. Would there be anything you would like me to pick up?”

João thought it over for a few seconds as he finished up his soup. “I suppose some sweets wouldn't hurt. It's been a while since I've had any sweets,” he mused. He sighed and got up to take his bowl and spoon to the basin for Antonio, and Luciano hopped off his chair to follow suit.

“Anything specific?” Antonio asked as he took their dishes to wash them out as well.

“I'm not picky,” João assured him. “You can take money from downstairs to pay for it. Take as much as you think you'll need, and then take a little extra just in case you see something else that looks good.” He smirked and ruffled Antonio's hair. “You're like a little errand boy,” he teased.

“Hey, I may be two years younger than you but I am not an 'errand boy',” Antonio chuckled. Luciano strapped his pouch to his waist.

“I'm going to go back home now,” he said. João brightened up and patted his back.

“Alright, give me a moment,” he said. He looked in the cabinets briefly before taking out a loaf wrapped in paper. “Here, for the road and for your mother. Tell her I said hello,” he said. Luciano thanked him softly, and João followed him to watch him out and to lock the door behind him as Antonio took the used water out the backdoor to toss it outside. João collapsed on the couch and sighed as Antonio came back in.

“Ready for that exclusive performance now?” Antonio asked, grabbing his guitar and sitting down next to João.

“I've been sleeping so much that I had forgotten all about that,” João mumbled, smiling weakly at him. “I think that would be a nice way to end the day, wouldn't you agree?”

“As long as you do not fall asleep in the middle of it,” Antonio said with a smile, and João laughed.

“I am not tired in the slightest after sleeping all day. I will need to stay up anyways tonight, apparently the client was very insistent that I get this necklace tomorrow night,” he explained.

“Does that happen often?” Antonio asked as he plucked a few strings to tune the guitar.

“No, it's unusual for a client to give me a specific night,” João sighed. “It's most likely a trap, which happens much more often. Luciano told me the client said the family would be out of town tomorrow night, but I'm not so sure.”

Antonio frowned, pausing in his tuning. “Why did you take the job then?” he asked.

“Because if it is a trap, and probably a poorly made one, then I want to show them that it's going to take a lot more than that to catch me,” João explained simply. “If I were to turn away their little trap, then that would imply that I am not confident enough in my abilities to slip away from them.”

“I see,” Antonio muttered, still not convinced. He tried to push the thought to the back of his mind, and instead focused on remembering the song he put together earlier. He hoped it was still reminiscent of the tune João was humming earlier. He adjusted the steel strings and passed his fingers over them, making a sweet collective sound. He smiled and struck the first note, then started to play. He plucked each string, as was his style, and hit the board of the guitar in a paced rhythm. The sounds vibrated the air around the strings in a masterfully played guitar, and João found himself entranced by the music, hanging off of every note. He felt like the song sounded familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Antonio felt himself flush when he glanced up and saw João watching him so fondly. But it didn't matter much, not until he finished with the last note. He turned to João, the room feeling much warmer now. “What did you think?” he asked.

“Where did you hear that song?” João asked. “It sounded familiar.”

Antonio rubbed the back of his neck with metal-stained fingers. “I, ha,” he began bashfully. “I picked up a song you were humming earlier today. It sounded familiar and I really liked it, so I decided to, you know, play it... for... you?” He waved his hand around. “But I also added a few things here and there, trying to stretch out the timing to my liking and um... mm, you didn't like it?”

“No, no, I really liked it. It was beautiful,” João assured him, making Antonio flush deeper. What was it that he felt? Relieved because João approved? Or elated because João said that it was beautiful? He looked up at him, noting the brightness and sincerity in his eyes. He had gotten a fair share of compliments before, on his music mainly, but he lived in Spain! He was just one out of the many that had mastery over the passionate instrument, surely it wasn't a moment to be cocky.

“Thank you, I would play any time if I can,” he said, beginning to strum a simple melody. But it wasn't cockiness he was feeling, he was just...happy. João leaned against him, listening to the melody. He didn't know why he felt so happy listening to Antonio play. He could just as easily go out to the town and find no less than three men scattered on the streets playing their own guitar. Maybe it was because Antonio wasn't playing it for money, or attention, he was playing it for him and only him. João quickly pushed that thought away before it had time to go deeper. He focused instead on Antonio's playing.

“You're pretty good with that,” he noted. Antonio held his breath, wanting to strike one strum and break all of the strings, yet he held it in.

“Thanks,” he muttered. “I, uh...practice.” _De veras, obvio!_ Antonio wanted to scold himself. He cleared his throat, calming his pace. “You know I can teach you, we can start having duets,” he offered weakly. João felt his face get warmer at the suggestion and he cleared his throat so that he words didn't come out broken.

“That sounds good,” he agreed, swallowing the lump in his throat. “Take as much money as you need tomorrow and pick out a guitar for me. I'm sure you know what makes a good guitar better than I,” he reasoned, turning away from Antonio slightly to try to hide his blush. Antonio's face brightened up, not even noticing how flustered João was.

“Really?!” he exclaimed. He cleared his throat and composed himself, continuing his strumming and trying to keep it cool. “I mean, ha, if you like. Sure, why not?”

Antonio kept to himself, trying to focus on his playing, but he could not help but glance up from time to time and take note of João's rather handsome features once João sat back towards him to watch him better. His green eyes that weren't quite green, Antonio was sure he saw some flecks of brown and yellow in there too, his tanned skin, and ah! That lunar! How come he has not noticed it before? It sat perfectly right below the corner of his eye, the beauty mark that he has seen most Spanish ladies mark on their lips or cheeks on purpose, desiring the same effect. João had it naturally, and it looked beautiful.

Antonio blushed, trying to push away those silly thoughts. Why was he suddenly having these feelings towards him? Certainly it was just simple admiration from one man to another and not... Antonio gulped even though his throat felt dry. His fingers slipped from the neck of the guitar, striking a harsh note that made João jump in surprise.

“Ah, I am getting tired,” Antonio muttered. “I can play more tomorrow, if you like.” He cast his eyes down, not wanting to look João in the eye for fear of getting lost in his beauty again and having his thoughts stray too far. Even the gentle pat on the shoulder that João gave him sent his head spinning.

“Go get some rest then,” João said. “I'm going to go out on a bit of a ride.” At seeing the worried look Antonio gave him, he smiled and sighed. “Not to steal anything,” he assured him, taking the ribbon out of his hair to tie his hair back more securely. “I'm not fit enough to get away with anything. But I need to do something, or else I'll end up falling asleep. I need to stay up all night in preparation for my next job.”

Antonio took a deep breath in and slowly hissed it out. _Keep it together Toño, he is a man he can take care of himself,_ he thought as he tapped his foot on the floor. “Por favor...be careful out there. Come back safe,” he mumbled, making João pause for a moment before he finished tying his hair back.

“I will, don't worry,” he promised. “It's just a small ride. I need to work out how I'm going to do the jobs I have, and maybe clear my head. It's not a big deal.” He had to admit, it felt nice to be worried about, and to have a reason to come home. He got up to pull his boots on and fasten his cloak, and Antonio stood up behind him with his hands clasped around the neck of his guitar, his way of seeing him out.

“Boa noite, sleep well,” João said, giving him a small wave.

“Buenas noches,” Antonio answered unsurely. He watched through the cottage window as João went outside to the stable to hitch up Ofelia and ride out. He muttered a small prayer under his breath and kissed his medallion devoutly before he turned to go to his room, but stopped and laughed softly as he finally noticed how clean the floors were. Shaking his head and placing a hand on his side, he made his way up to his room, the clean wood creaking behind him. He dropped himself face-first on the bed and laid there for several seconds before he picked up his guitar once more, playing remnants of João's song as he stared up at the ceiling.

“I should have played longer,” he muttered to himself. “Perhaps he would have stayed.”

He tried to will himself to sleep, but to no avail. He was too restless. All that went through his mind was replays of the day's events, the cooking, Luciano's visit, João's frown, his cunning smile, his hearty laugh, his brilliant green eyes decorated by the lunar. He groaned, frustrated how he invaded his mind. Eventually the soft tune calmed his weary thoughts. The last thing he remembered was setting his guitar down, plopping once again on his sheets, uttering “João...”

* * *

 

João found his mind wandering as well. He briefly wondered why Antonio worried so much about him coming home safely, when it would be nothing but beneficial to him to have him gone. Antonio would get a free house, three horses, and the piles upon piles of money down in the basement. He would never have to work a day in his life ever again.

João sighed and slouched a little on Ofelia's back as he gripped the reins a little bit tighter. The concept of someone caring about him felt foreign to him, having hardly been used to anyone giving him attention other than the guard shouting for him to stop, threatening him with hanging. The only exception was when he visited the nearby small town for errands. Having someone care about him and worry about him...it made him feel happy. He smiled and relaxed, sitting up straight again. Yes, that felt right to describe it. Happy. Antonio's smile, his laugh, how bright and green his eyes were, his soft plea for him to be careful and to come back safe, it all made him feel warm and happy.

He carefully took Ofelia down the street where his next target was, noting how quiet the house was. He tied Ofelia to a tree and walked around the house, silently inspecting it and pinpointing all of the spots that he could get in. There were only a few, being only a one floor house, and that was a couple of windows and the front door. It almost seemed too easy. Even one of the windows was left slightly cracked. Well, if the client was so insistent on getting it so soon, surely they wouldn't have a problem with getting the necklace a day early. He went back to Ofelia and rode her back to his house, letting her drink and rest as he quietly collected everything that he needed. He heard Antonio's soft snores and he smiled gently, his chest filling with the same warmth that he felt earlier, though that warmth was quickly replaced with guilt. He'd be going against Antonio's wishes by stealing the necklace now instead of tomorrow, but there was a chance he'd be safer if he stole it tonight rather than tomorrow, so would he really be disobeying Antonio? He shook the thought away. It didn't matter, Antonio was only his stablehand. No matter how nice it felt to have him worry, he couldn't think about it now.

He quietly left again and hopped back on Ofelia's back, riding her back into Madrid and leaving her to stand in the shadows of the next street over. He didn't bother tying her up again, if someone chased him it would get in the way of his escape. It wasn't like she would wander off anyways, and João made sure to train her to not move for anyone except him.

João crept up to the house, shaking his head and sighing once more before he inspected the inside and the window to make sure there were no traps. Seeing none, he carefully poured oil over the hinges of the windows before he opened them up silently and stepped inside. He glanced around, noticing how lavishly decorated the house was. Despite being such a small house, the owners were clearly rich. It made him worry less about getting the house wrong for such an expensive necklace. His footsteps were light and quick as he darted through the easiest areas of the house to access, trying to find the necklace. Of course, nobody would leave such a valuable item out in the open in their house. He even checked the cellar, hoping that it could be in a safe down there, but to no avail.

He internally groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. He always hated getting stuff from bedrooms, it could lead to such violating encounters. He poured oil over the hinges of each of the doors, wanting to get in and out all of the rooms as quickly as possible in case he was caught. He had three doors that were closed to him, all leading to rooms that were silent even when João pressed his ear up against the walls.

Once he was done with his preparations, João carefully opened the first door, peeking inside. It looked to be a bedroom, but it was empty. _Must be a guest room,_ João thought. Nevertheless, he went about his silent search, still not finding any luck in finding the necklace. The next door was simply a door to a linens closet. João slowly inhaled and exhaled to relax before he carefully cracked open the last door. He peeked inside, only growing more confused when the room was empty too. He slipped into the room, deciding to question it later. He immediately spotted the necklace hanging off of a metal display, and stepped over to it. He took the drawing out of his pouch and unfolded it, comparing the drawing to the necklace. Once he was sure they were the same necklace, he took it off of its bar and tucked it gently into his pouch. He had just fastened the pouch when two strong arms gripped him, pinning his arms to his sides.

“You just couldn't wait, could you Medeiros?” a voice hissed into his ear, making João's blood run cold. He struggled against the grip, his body feeling like it was on fire from all of the cuts, scrapes, and bruises being aggravated from the tight hold and his struggles. The grip on him only tightened, and João's chest heaved with shallow pants as he tried to think of a way out.

“You know, the rest said I was mad,” the man behind him hissed. “That I was out of my mind to think you'd try to steal it a night early when I specifically gave you the orders for tomorrow night.” João grit his teeth at hearing this.

“So it _was_ a trap,” he growled. The man behind him chuckled.

“Of course it was,” he said, his voice almost a purr. “You've tormented me for too long Medeiros. I've heard too many things about you, yet the king doesn't think you're a threat. Then, to steal a horse right from under our noses...”

“That horse wasn't yours to begin with,” João snapped.

“Oh, I could care less about the horse. It was shit and didn't behave at all,” the stranger retorted. “It's you that I want.” One hand came up to grip João's jaw, his callused fingers pressing painfully hard into his jaw and cheeks to keep his head still. The arm around his waist stayed tight, and João silently cursed how lean and weak he was compared to the stranger, who João assumed was a guard at the very least from his strength and words.

“Do you know how long I've chased after you, Medeiros?” the man whispered. “How many nights I've spent awake trying to find you, how many resources I've wasted trying to catch you?”

“Three years?” João asked casually, carefully testing how much he could move his hand without the other noticing.

“Seven,” the man corrected. Noticing that João stopped in his struggle, he softened his grip on him just slightly, and he gripped the edge of João's hood with his teeth to pull it off of João's head. The man's thumb stroked over his jaw gently, almost as if he were petting a cat. João shuddered in disgust. The other seemed to not notice, or not care, and he even nipped the edge of João's ear, making João feel sick.

“It's a crying shame you have to hang, Medeiros,” he whispered in João's ear. “You're gorgeous.”

That broke the last straw for João, and he yanked his arm free in one swift motion to pull out the dagger from his belt and dig it into the man's thigh. The man cried out in pain and immediately let go of him, and João yanked his dagger free from his leg and ducked away from his attempt to grab him again.

“You son of a bitch!” the man snarled, and João just barely had enough time to get a glimpse of him as he dashed out of the room and back out the window towards where he left Ofelia.

It wasn't until he was safely riding Ofelia back to his cottage, positive that nobody was following him, before he gave himself a chance to reflect on what the hell just happened. That certainly was no ordinary guardsman that caught him. No, the numerous medals on the jacket that caught the dim light of the moon proved it. It was someone higher up, possibly even a captain, that just called him gorgeous. João shuddered again and rubbed his ear to try to get rid of the feeling that the small bite left behind.

Out of all of the strange encounters he had from stealing from bedrooms, that was without a doubt the most disturbing.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Leave a comment if you liked it, or if you didn't like it. That's fine too, I love hearing feedback!


	5. Crazy Bastard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaa this chapter was so fun to work on :'D I hope you enjoy!

The next morning, Antonio was up before the sun was, a habit learned through working with Vasquez. Changing into comfortable clean clothing and saying his daily prayer, he crept out of his room, going towards João's to see if he was there. Slightly cracking the door open, he saw him laying there through the dim lighting of the coming sunrise, as unharmed as he was when he left.

A peculiar warmth settled over his chest, and he closed the door before João got the chance to stir. Antonio knew it was much too early to go into town, so he decided to busy himself with stable chores. He went on with the basics and even tried bonding with Ofelia, offering her slices of apples and carrots as he patted her strong shoulders.

When the sun was high enough, he prepared the cart and harnesses outside. All that was left to do was hitch the horses. Leaving the stable door open for the horses to roam around the property, Antonio made his way into the cottage, where he planned to make breakfast. Noting the quietness of the home, Antonio sighed.

“He's still asleep huh?” he asked. “I wonder what time he got back.” Shrugging lightly, he went on to make breakfast, leaving just enough leftovers to be reheated later for João. He went about taking note of all of the things that needed to be restocked. Eggs, vegetables, some herbs and spices, tomatoes. He made a mental note to buy extra cloth for bandages and salve, just in case.

“Ah, and supplies for the horses,” he concluded, snapping his fingers at the thought. “Oye, that will take quite a bit of money.” He then remembered João offering some that could be collected from downstairs. _Just a few reales, I can pay him back if anything,_ he thought to himself. He took a lit candle to the basement, expecting a chest of sorts to be hidden under useless junk.

He paused for a moment at the base of the steps, glancing around in the small room he stepped into. There was a large map of Europe that covered one wall, with several smaller maps strewn out on a table in front of it. Antonio looked closer at them, trying to figure out which one was which, but there were no labels on the maps, only small slits here and there. He realized the cause of the slits from a map that was set to the side with a thin dagger stuck in it, and looked closer at it. After several moments of studying the map, he realized that this was a map of Madrid. The dagger was stuck into one spot in particular, on the north side of town.

“That must be his next job,” Antonio mused out loud. He had a temptation to take the dagger out. Maybe it would keep João from going to the job that he said was surely a trap, or at least delay him. Antonio shook his head and stepped away. He looked around a bit more, seeing a polished wooden door. _That must be it,_ he decided. He opened it without another thought, and nearly dropped the candle in his shock at what was inside.

It was one thing to talk about something, then it was a whole other thing seeing it for yourself. He could not believe the amount of gold he saw before his eyes, riches that seemed to come from all corners of the world. Antonio was entirely overwhelmed, João could be a prince if he really wanted to. The man was not joking when he claimed to be world renowned. Antonio bent over to pick up a coin at his feet, and realized it was a coin from Prussia.

Then it hit him. The work he has done, the deeds committed, the sacrifices made. _I was probably only scratching the surface, seeing how noble João was during the day,_ a confused Antonio mused, _at night, the man turned into someone else._

“How could I be so dull and blind, the man is a thief, what nobility is there in being one?” Antonio wondered out loud. “And I thought he could be different, that it wasn't the same. I thought he only did small jobs here and there, but his richness says otherwise. I thought I...one wrong move on my part...” _I am so stupid,_ he thought, terrified. _I don't know what he is capable of, I followed him like some lovestruck pup. He could kill me if he wanted to._

Panicked, Antonio fled out of the basement. “I need to get out of here,” he mumbled. Swiftly grabbing some clothes and hanging his guitar behind him, he saddled Catalina, went out of the property using old racing skills to get her into the proper pace and escape quickly.

João woke up a little before noon, yawning and siting up as he slowly gained his senses. He noticed how quiet the house was and smiled, thinking it was Antonio being kind and staying outside with the horses while he slept so that he wasn't woken up. He carefully got out of bed with a wince and grabbed his pouch off of the nightstand. He pulled the necklace out and frowned, turning it over in his hands. It had been a trap, he clearly was not going to be paid for his services. However, after last night, he wanted a better look at the man that was clearly hunting him feverishly. It would be easier to avoid him if he knew what he looked like.

He sighed and pulled on his other cloak, this one a light cream to avoid drawing too much attention from the dark, rich green of his usual one. He fastened it on with a simple silver brooch and strapped the pouch to his waist.

“Why am I doing this?” he sighed, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. “I should just sell off the damn thing. Ah, well. At least getting a rise out of the guard is fun.”

João stepped out of his bedroom, brightening up at the smell of food. He stepped into the kitchen, thinking Antonio was making lunch, only to be met with the leftovers that were left on the stove for him. He sighed and thought briefly about eating them, but it would be boring to eat without at least Antonio's company there. So he went outside, about to call out for Antonio, but noticed Catalina missing, though the cart was still there.

He frowned slightly, a little worried. Wouldn't Antonio leave a note for him or tell him before he left? Not that a note would do much good of course, but it would have still been a polite gesture. João pushed it to the back of his mind, intending to give Antonio a lecture about telling him first before he goes out when he came back.

He went back into the kitchen and reluctantly heated his lunch, sitting down to eat it alone. It was delicious, and he made a mental note to thank Antonio later for leaving some for him. Once that was done, he hitched up Ofelia and patted her neck.

“I know, I know, you just went out last night,” he murmured, rubbing her nose when she snorted. “Come on, I'll give you four-- no, five days for a break before the next job. How does that sound, hm?” he cooed. He kissed her nose and smiled before he hopped up on her back and headed for Madrid.

* * *

 

 _A thief,_ the good, moral part of Antonio reasoned, _will hold someone at sword-point and demand for the person to relinquish all that he rightfully earned, the man is a sinner._ Antonio shook his head, the late Spanish sun hanging high about his head. Catalina trotted and snorted, foam hanging from her mouth. Antonio was suddenly feeling nauseous and struggled to keep awake.

 _But João is different,_ the bad, appealing part interjected, _he has been nothing but generous and kind. You could see it in his eyes, João is a good man._ Antonio frowned. _In his green eyes, you could see he is an honorable man and you love him._ Antonio was halfway to town when he forcefully tugged on Catalina's reins.

“I...do not care,” he sniffed. “Not for all the gold in the world. I will not turn him in. I can't...What is wrong with me?” His nausea only grew, and he felt dizzy. In the surrounding heat, Antonio's hand let go of the reins, and he slid sideways from his saddle and fell into the dust. Catalina reared and whinnied, making sure she did not step on her stablehand. He then turned and started galloping down the path, back towards João's home.

João was just about out of the forest when he saw a horse riding towards him in the distance. Not thinking anything unusual of it he kept on, though he pulled his hood down a little lower to avoid being noticed. When he and the other horse got closer to him, he first realized that the horse was without a rider. He then recognized it as Catalina, and tugged gently on Ofelia's reins to stop. He hopped off and stopped Catalina, gently grabbing hold of her reins.

“Hey, hey, easy girl, easy,” he muttered as Catalina snorted and stamped and tossed her head around wildly. He finally got her to calm down after a minute and rubbed her sweat-soaked neck.

“Poor girl, where's your master?” he murmured, only growing more worried for Antonio. What if he had gotten beaten up by highwaymen? He felt torn, he needed to find Antonio, but Catalina needed to be taken back to his house and given water. Then there was also the problem of the necklace...

João shook his head to clear his thoughts. He hopped up on Ofelia's back, keeping hold of Catalina's reins with one hand to lead her along as he turned Ofelia around and rode her back to his house, gently leading Catalina along. Once she was comfortable in her stable and had plenty of water, he took Ofelia back out onto the main path towards Madrid. He didn't bother pushing her to go fast, wanting to make sure he was thoroughly checking the area around for Antonio.

His heart sank when he got to the outskirts of the town and didn't see any sign of Antonio. He sighed and headed around the city down a smaller path, stopping in front of a small, worn down house. He hopped off of Ofelia's back and headed to the door, knocking twice, pausing, then knocking twice again and then four times. He waited a couple more seconds before placing one firm knock on the door, and finally the lock unclicked and Luciano peeked out of the door.

“Hello João,” he said politely. João smiled and gently ruffled his hair.

“Hey kiddo,” he said. “You know that client that asked for this?” He took out the drawing of the necklace and handed it to Luciano. Luciano looked at it and nodded.

“Go give him the message that it's ready to be picked up,” João said, though this earned him a confused look from Luciano.

“I thought he asked for you to get it tonight?” he asked.

“The house was empty last night, so I figured why not be courteous to our respectful client and get it to them a day early?” João explained with a grin, and Luciano grinned as well.

“I'll tell him,” he assured him. “It's in room two right?”

“It will be, yes,” João said.

“You haven't already dropped it off?” Luciano asked, wide-eyed. João couldn't help but smile at this. At least Luciano worried for him as well. He was right to worry, João always dropped off the stolen item before sending the message that it was ready to be picked up. It prevented him from being caught.

“Don't worry, this guy's harmless. I'll be fine,” he assured him. He tried not to focus on the fact that there were many lies in that, but he didn't want to worry Luciano further. Luciano sighed and shook his head.

“Okay,” Luciano grumbled reluctantly. “You can leave Ofelia here.”

João thanked him and Luciano closed the door as João went to put Ofelia under the makeshift overhang to keep her out of the sun. “I'll be right back,” he murmured, kissing her nose before starting to make the walk into town.

He took back alleys to avoid being seen, and to stay out of the harsh sunlight as much as possible. He stopped when he got to a large, bricked back of a building and sighed softly. He pulled out a loose brick and reached inside for the lever, hearing a small bell chime inside. He waited for a moment before three knocks came on the other side, and João knocked twice. There was a slight pause, and then the door swung open and a woman smiled brightly.

“Hello Marianne,” João said, smiling back at her.

“Medeiros! You've been busy, didn't you just do a job the other day?” Marianne asked, ushering him in and closing the door behind him.

“Yes, but this one was a rushed job,” he explained, pulling out the necklace and showing her. He smiled at the glimmer in her eyes at seeing it. “I'm tempted to not give it to the client,” he mused, holding it up to her neck. “I'm sure that it would look much better on you than the man that hired me.”

Marianne laughed softly and gently hit his shoulder. “Ah, you charmer. You know Allistor wouldn't approve of another man giving me jewelry,” she teased, and João laughed softly.

“Ah yes, how could I forget?” he mused. His face turned serious and he frowned. “Speaking of your husband, you may want to put him in the front,” he explained. “This client is a bit...rough, if the encounter I had with him is anything to go by.”

“What do you mean?” Marianne asked, raising an eyebrow. “Who is he?”

“I don't know. I didn't get a good look at his face, but he's a member of the royal guard, I can tell you that much. High up I think, he was covered in medals when I saw him last night,” João whispered. “Crazy bastard, he's been chasing me for seven years.”

“And this man is your client?” Marianne asked.

“Yes. It was a trap,” João said with a small nod.

“Then why give him the necklace?” Marianne asked, crossing her arms.

“You know me, always a fool getting himself into danger,” João teased, flashing her a smirk. “I'm not so cowardly as to not fulfill a job just because it's a trap.”

Marianne shook her head and sighed. “I don't understand you Medeiros,” she mumbled, leading him to a door that went into the kitchen.

“Yeah, I don't understand myself either,” João joked, following her into the kitchen. He gave a polite nod to the large, strong man that was over the stove, stirring a pot of stew. “Hello Allistor,” he said.

“What're you doing back here so soon?” Allistor asked gruffly. João smiled and held up the necklace.

“Just came to drop off a delivery,” he explained.

“You're going to need to be in the front for a while honey,” Marianne explained, going over to the man and rubbing his arm. “Apparently this client is part of the guard.”

“Great, just what we needed. More guards,” Allistor retorted, stepping away from the pot and snatching the necklace from João. His wife took over stirring the stew, adding a few other ingredients into it.

“More?” João repeated, confused.

“Yeah. Your client the other day, for that stupid watch? Must have been new, tried to bring the guard here to catch you,” Allistor scoffed. “The entire place was shut down the entire afternoon, nobody could get in or out until they searched everywhere.”

“I'm sorry for causing you two such trouble. I'll bring some payment to make up for the lost business,” João sighed, feeling a little bit guilty. The guard coming in and searching the building wasn't unusual, but he knew it made them lose a bit of customers.

“You didn't hurt business at all, this place was packed yesterday,” Marianne assured him. “Everyone was here, wanting to know what was going on. You're famous.”

João smirked and shrugged. “What can I say, I just do my job,” he said. “The guard is the one that makes a big deal out of it.”

Allistor shook his head and sighed. “That's a hell of a job you have, then,” he muttered before turning and leaving to put the necklace in the room. João frowned and moved to help Marianne with preparing food.

“I'm very sorry about the trouble, I'll make sure my pages know not to take jobs from this man again once I see him,” he promised her softly.

“It's no trouble,” Marianne assured him. “This place needed the excitement.”

“I'm not sure that you want this much excitement here,” João said. He stopped as he heard the chatter out in the main area go quiet. “Speak of the devil,” he muttered.

“Where is he?!” a man shouted. “Where is the Cygnus Thief?!”

João froze and shuddered. That was definitely the same voice from last night. Marianne ushered him back into the side room, and he glanced around. There wasn't anywhere to hide in case the guards decided to search the back area. He did spot a few small holes in the wall though, and after glancing through, realized that they looked out into the main room of the tavern. He saw two men dressed in the official uniform of the royal guard, and one man that was in a similar uniform, only his looked much more flashy. João assumed he was the one in charge.

The much flashier man stormed around as best he could, though João noticed the clear limp in his step as he avoided stepping on the right food. _That must be him,_ he thought. He reminded João of a raging bull with the way he whipped his head around to look at the room and the different patrons as he stamped around and huffed through his nose. Finally he stormed up to the front counter and slammed his hands down on it.

“I know he's here!” he snapped to Allistor. “Where is the Cygnus Thief?!”

“I don't know what you're talking about,” Allistor grunted. “Why would the Cygnus Thief be here of all places, and in the middle of the day?”

João silently shifted to try to focus more and get a clearer look at the man's face. Allistor didn't seem to be intimidated by him, and if João was in his place he was sure he wouldn't be either. The man didn't look exactly intimidating, he looked like a mess up close. João wondered if the man was even a guard. His blonde hair was ruffled and sticking up in a few places, his eyes were wide with frenzy and bloodshot with dark circles under them, and he was grinding his teeth so much that it was almost comical.

 _Antonio is so much more attractive,_ João thought, then recoiled with a light blush on his cheeks. He shook his head to quickly clear the thought and peeked back through the hole.

The guard slammed his fist down on the counter. “Do not lie to me!” he roared. “I know he's here! He hasn't had time to get away yet!”

Allistor scoffed and crossed his arms. “I'm just trying to run a tavern here. If you aren't going to get a room or some food or drink, get out,” he retorts. The guard scoffed and stood up straight.

“Fine,” he retorted. “I'll take a room. Room two.” Allistor nodded and got the key out from under the counter.

“One gold piece for the day and night,” he said simply. The guard growled and slammed down the gold coin. Allistor calmly handed over the key, and João couldn't help but snicker softly. The man and the two guards left and went upstairs to where the rooms were. João listened to the floor creaking as one pair of footsteps in particular was not walking, but rather stomping up to the room. He faintly heard a door get unlocked and open, and a few seconds later several expletives being shouted in Spanish, along with his name and stomping around. He briefly felt a small hint of pity for the other patrons of the tavern. He was about to leave, but stopped and sighed as he realized he should probably apologize to Marianne and Allistor first. He turned around and headed back through the door to the kitchen.

Marianne looked over at the door opening, looking surprised. “You haven't left yet?” she asked.

“Not yet,” João mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I, ha, I wanted to apologize for bringing such trouble here.” Just then, Allistor came back in with a heavy sigh.

“You were right, he is a crazy bastard,” he muttered.

“Do you know who he is?” João asked, hoping to at least know his enemy a little better before he went off on more jobs. Allistor gives a small grunt in annoyance.

“Of course I know who he is. He's the captain of the royal guard,” he grumbled, and João nearly choked on his spit. So he was right, he was higher up. _Way_ higher up.

“Asshole always prances around acting like he owns the city just because he reports directly to the king and queen,” Allistor continued. He and Marianne share a look before Marianne sighed and gently rested a hand on João's arm.

“Medeiros-- no, João,” she murmured. “Allistor and I have been talking, and, well...We're not sure we want to keep being a front for your job. It's too dangerous, and...” She hesitated and moved her hand to her stomach. João finally noticed that it was a little bit distended.

“We're expecting a child,” Marianne explained. “I don't want our child to grow up in danger.”

João's eyes widened, and he looked from Marianne to Allistor, who looked incredibly grim, then back to Marianne. He swallowed the lump in his throat and sighed. “I...understand. I have two more jobs, then I will stop organizing them here,” he whispered. He gently pulled Marianne into a hug and smiled. “Let me know when the baby comes. I'll bring plenty of gifts.”

Marianne pulled away and smiled at him. “Thank you for being so understanding,” she whispered. João chuckled and waved her off.

“It's the least I could do for you,” he assured her. He heard stomping coming down the stairs and backed away. “I have to go. Please be safe,” he said softly before turning and dashing out of the tavern. He ran down the alleys until he was a safe distance away from the tavern, then slowed to a walk as he made his way back to Ofelia. He passed the message on to Luciano that he will no longer be handling jobs through Marianne's tavern, and Luciano promised to tell the others to spread the word.

João thanked him and then hopped on Ofelia's back to start to head back towards his cottage. He secretly hoped Antonio would be there when he got back, but when he put Ofelia back in her stable and went inside, the house was silent. He peeked into his room, hoping he would be there, but his blood ran cold when he saw that the room was empty, with nothing of Antonio's left in there. He really was gone, most likely for good.

The day's events all swirled in his head, making him feel worse and worse with each passing moment. The proud thief trudged out into the living room, plopped down on the couch, rested his head in his hands, and cried.

It started off as just small shivers, then the occasional hiccup, and all of a sudden it was like a dam burst and he sobbed. After everything he had done for Antonio, the trust he put in him, the sacrifices he made, he was gone, just like Marianne and Allistor. A part of his mind knew he needed to get out of there, _now,_ but he couldn't bring himself to. So what if that crazy captain showed up and killed him? Nothing mattered to him anymore.

* * *

 

His clothes were strewn on the ground and the guitar broken beyond repair from the impact. The cool of the evening helped bring Antonio back into his senses. His right arm aches as he pulled himself up. He groaned, not really knowing or remembering where he has been or where he was going His throat was parched though and he set his mind into looking for a source of water.

He collected his clothes, pushed the broken guitar away, and made his way to where he saw the river last. He drank to his heart's content and washed his face. He stared down at his reflection and shook his head.

“What was I thinking?” he moaned. “Does it matter at all in the end? He is my friend, my only friend. Was I just drowning in a glass of water?” Now to get back to João's, he decided. “If I go back, he would think that I was trying to rob him,” Antonio frowned. “I mean I lost Catalina.” He stood from his place, his head swimming.

“I will go as empty handed as I am, ask him for some bread and forgiveness. Should he cast me out well... I cannot help but understand,” he mumbled, and started to head back to the cottage on foot.

Meanwhile, João slowly calmed down and collected himself, and tried his best to make dinner with what he had left in his cupboards. His appetite was spoiled though from loneliness and despair, and he only picked at his food slowly with the occasional sniffle. He perked up when he heard a knock at the door, his heart sinking in dread. That wasn't the knock of one of his messenger boys, they would have knocked in the code if it was. He got up and grabbed his dagger as the knocking came again, and cautiously approached the door. If the guard was there to capture him, he wasn't going down without a fight. Or, at least, not without putting a couple more wounds in that damn captain.

João took a deep breath before swinging the door open, holding the dagger at the ready. However, he stopped and froze as he saw Antonio standing there, alone. “Antonio?” he whispered. He finally got a hold of his senses and threw the dagger to the side to pull Antonio into a tight hug, his pride pushed to the side in his relief.

“I thought you left for good,” he whispered. “You asshole, don't scare me like that ever again.”

Antonio looked at him in surprise, having expected a less than warm welcome like João was giving now. He had wanted to return the hug, but he tried pulling away to look at João straight in the face. “Y-You're right,” he mumbled, and his lower lip trembled. “I am an asshole. The biggest one there is. I saw your stash and I was frightened. I ran away with the intention of turning you in, but I couldn't do it. I just couldn't. And then I passed out without realizing I lost Catalina. Perdoname João, please forgive me. Forgive me for losing Catalina. Forgive me for being an asshole.”

João listened to him, the color slowly draining from his face. He pulled away from Antonio and took a step back from shock. “So...you _were_ going to turn me in,” he said slowly, everything starting to sink in. “You were going to hand me over to the authorities for two thousand gold pieces, and let them hang me.” Antonio winced, for every word João spoke was the ultimate truth. His redstained eyes created pools of tears, but he did not let a drop fall. He could only imagine his friend, his only friend, was fuming from the inside.

And he was right, João was mentally kicking himself, cursing himself for being so stupid and thinking he could trust someone for once. He couldn't believe he let his guard down so much and nearly got himself killed. He grit his teeth and glared at Antonio, fully intending to yell at him. However, his rational mind finally caught up to him and he stopped and looked around at the space in front of his cottage, and the tree line. He nearly got killed. But he didn't.

“...What stopped you from doing it?” he asked softly, still wary as he looked back at Antonio. Antonio's tongue felt heavy in his mouth. What could he tell him? Oops, sorry my mistake, you are actually not that bad of a guy, or perhaps, I may have realized the irony of it all, me fearing for my life when yours is practically hanging on my hands. He tried to speak, but no words came out. He sighed heavily, one hand on his injured arm.

“I did not do it,” he began to say, “because I did not want to. I did not want to see you in the hands of the Spanish guards. I did not want to do the 'right thing', knowing that I betrayed my friend. My only friend.” Antonio cast his eyes down, fearing he was not making any sense. “I did not want you to die, like I did not want you to get captured the first day we met.” He squeezed his arm tighter, though it pained him to do so. “I... I should go,” he sniffed, stepping down. However, João grabbed his uninjured arm and smiled a little.

“At least...At least stay for dinner,” he said quietly, giving a gentle tug on his arm to try to pull him inside. “Stay for Catalina, if nothing else. She's exhausted, there's no way she could make a long trip, and neither can you on foot. Even if you have the stamina, highwaymen lurk on the roads at night especially, and some during the day. So just stay here for the night, okay?”

Antonio looked at him, his mouth opening in protest, but the rush of warmth coming from João's grasp calmed him and he let himself be pulled inside. “Catalina?” he repeated. “You have her? How did you find her?”

“She came back here on her own,” João explained as he gently pulled Antonio over to the couch. He picked up the discarded dagger and set it aside on a table. Antonio sat himself unsurely on the couch, feeling like he was intruding more than anything. João sat down next to him and rested his hand on Antonio's shoulder.

“So what happened?” he asked.

“I fell off Catalina,” Antonio winced, trying to move his arm. “I fell on my right arm.” He groaned as he angled his arm. It strained him. João frowned and lightly rested his hand on Antonio's arm to make sure nothing was sticking out of place, and Antonio blushed at the gentle touch. He couldn't believe how attentive João was with him after what he had almost done.

“How far did you get?” João asked. “Catalina was foaming at the mouth by the time I found her.”

Antonio frowned, pained more when he found out his favorite mare's condition. “I took another, wilder path to town under the midday sun,” he lamented. “I must have exhausted her on the new trail. I was just so upset and I took it out on her. My poor girl, how is she?”

“She's doing fine now. I made sure she got plenty of water and food. A lot of petting too,” João assured him. He paused in his inspection of Antonio's arm and frowned. “You must be hungry and thirsty too. Let me get you something,” he offered, getting up and going into the kitchen before Antonio could protest. Antonio felt a twinge of guilt for how he treated Catalina, but he felt more guilty for the way he acted towards João.

João came back a few minutes later with a plate of reheated leftovers of his dinner and a glass of juice. He set them down on the table in front of Antonio and sighed. “I don't have any bandages, I still need to wash the ones I used,” he muttered, sitting down next to him again as Antonio gulped down the juice greedily. “Let me see your arm,” he instructed. Antonio hesitated for a moment before offering him his injured arm again, slowly and carefully. João gingerly took his arm and inspected it a little more closely than he was earlier.

“It is alright,” Antonio responded softly, concentrating on the warm touch on his arm. “W-Why are you being this kind to me?” he dared asked. “Aren't you angry at me?”

João paused in his inspection and glared up at Antonio. “Oh trust me, I am pissed off,” he agreed flatly, making Antonio flinch back. João's expression softened and he frowned slightly.

“But...” he started, glancing back down to look more at Antonio's arm, “I know that getting yelled at while you're hurting isn't fun. My priority first is making sure you're okay.” He frowned and let go of Antonio's arm, letting Antonio pull it back close to himself.

“It's not bent how it shouldn't be, so that's good, but that doesn't mean it's completely fine,” he explained, tapping his chin as he thought. “I'll be right back.” He got up and disappeared into his bedroom for several minutes, and Antonio heard some ripping noises with a couple of muttered curses before João came back out with a long strip of cloth in his hands. At closer inspection, Antonio realized it was just several shorter pieces sloppily sewn together.

“I had some old sheets laying around,” João explained at seeing Antonio's confused look. “Just to be safe, your arm shouldn't be left to heal without binding it.”

“No, I deserve that,” Antonio mumbled, letting João take his arm again. João wrapped the makeshift bandage around his arm as carefully as he could so he didn't hurt him too much. Unfortunately for Antonio it still hurt, and the tears he had been holding back found their way down Antonio's flushed cheeks. He looked away and ground his teeth, to prevent himself from screeching out in pain.

After what seemed like forever, João was finished and Antonio looked down at the well made makeshift cast for his injured arm, just tight enough to prevent himself from hurting it further. He looked at João with tear-streaked eyes. “Thank you,” he said with sincerest gratitude. “Thank you so much. I don't know how to say it enough, but do not worry I will pay you back with the money I have. Afterwards I will leave first thing tomorrow.” He chuckled through his tears. “For what use is an injured stable boy who cannot even carry apples properly to the horses?”

João's face turned grim and he shook his head before gently reaching up and wiping Antonio's cheeks dry, making Antonio's cheeks flush more. “Antonio, think of the plan you have right now. You're going to give all of your money away, then go and look for somewhere else to stay and work, when you just said there isn't a use to an injured stable hand,” he pointed out. He sighed and managed a small smile as he moved his hand up to smooth down Antonio's hair somewhat.

“You can stay here,” he assured him. “I'm not going to kick you out onto the streets. I'm not that mad at you.” He wiped Antonio's cheeks off again and smiled more to try to help him cheer up. “Is there anything else that hurts?” he asked.

Antonio's shoulders trembled as he tried to hold everything in. All his worries, all his doubts and insecurities have been folly. He could trust João no matter what he does, it did not define him. Antonio returned his smile with a soft smirk, enjoying the brilliance of his green eyes and lunar in the warm lighting. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to fall on João, his forehead hitting the top of his strong shoulder with his binded arm tucked in as João gave a soft 'oh'.

“No,” Antonio mumbled. “I'm...I'm just tired.”

João blinked in surprise, though he quickly recovered and gently wrapped his arms around him to hold him. “You did walk a long way,” he murmured, one hand coming up to stroke Antonio's hair. Antonio wanted to stay there forever, and have him close like this. He didn't understand why he was feeling such things whenever João was around. All he knew was that it just felt right, and it was enough for him.

Antonio was just starting to doze off in João's warm, gentle hold when João spoke up again, snapping him out of his thoughts. “Do you want to eat the rest of your food first before you sleep?” João asked softly. Antonio hummed and pulled away, rubbing his eyes. He yawned and straightened out his back before looking at the plate of food on his table.

“I'll eat it,” he mumbled, about to grab it, but João grabbed it for him along with the empty glass and stood up.

“Let's go eat in the kitchen then,” he said, already walking towards the table. Antonio got to his feet and followed him. João set the plate and glass down on the other side of the table, the candle flickering between their plates. He filled up Antonio's glass with the last of the juice in the bottle before sitting down across from him. Antonio blushed and sat down as well, wincing as he tried to do the Sign of the Cross, motioning his arm in slow, careful movements. He took to eat with his left hand, grabbing the fork like a child to feed himself. He managed, although it looked more awkward than anything else, his food slipped off of his fork twice before he finally got it into his mouth. He scrunched his nose and took to eating with his fingers, and João couldn't help but chuckle as he watched and ate his own fish much faster.

Eating with his fingers proved to be much easier, although it was much more messy. Antonio didn't care though, and chewed and hummed happily, expressing his content. “Delicious as always,” he smiled. Although, after a few moments, his face fell and he looked at his bound arm. “I guess this means I won't be playing guitar for a while,” he mumbled.

João frowned slightly at the realization. “No, I guess not,” he agreed softly, going back to eating his fish. It was cold, but he didn't care much. He was too hungry. Once he realized that he was almost done though, while Antonio was only a little bit of the way through his, he stopped and put his fork down.

“Do you need help with eating?” he offered.

“I can do it,” Antonio answered confidently, though a moment later he dropped a piece of fish on the floor. “Merda!” he cursed, trying to pick the fish up, though it kept slipping out of his grasp. João rolled his eyes and leaned over to pick the fish up with both hands, tossing it in the scraps pile.

“Here, let me do it,” he insisted, pulling his chair closer to Antonio. He couldn't help but pause, noticing how beautiful he looked in the candle light. His green eyes were as radiant as ever despite the dim lighting, and he felt his heart skip a couple of beats before he snapped out of it and grabbed Antonio's fork.

“I can do it on my own, really,” Antonio protested, but João picked up a piece with the fork anyways and held it to Antonio's lips.

“Say ah,” he cooed, looking at Antonio with a shit eating grin. Antonio glared daggers at him, which would have been intimidating if it weren't for the soft blush on his cheeks.

“I know I treated you like a child when you were hurt,” he said as he rose a brow. “But I did not go this far.” Yet he could not help but comply to his grumbling stomach. He closed his eyes to save himself from the embarrassment of leaning forward and letting João gently stick the fork in his mouth. He took the piece of fish off and chewed, a small sneer appearing in the corner of his mouth.

“If you humiliating me like this is your way to get back at me,” he added in a rather feisty tone, “then you are some crazy puta.” Antonio smiled as he swallowed, and João couldn't help but laugh.

“I thought you already knew that I was crazy,” he teased, feeding Antonio another piece slowly so he didn't choke him. He took the silence to his advantage, taking plenty of time to look at him and take in all of the features in the dim light. He noticed how his hair curled at the ends only, and it looked so soft. He had to curl his free hand into a fist against his leg to keep himself from reaching out and touching it. Instead he moved his gaze to look at how he was built. Strong shoulders and rough, callused hands, obviously meant for farm work. He couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips.

As self-degrading as it may have been, Antonio took in the fact that João's attention was all on him and for him, and absorbed it with an inner pleasure. He noticed the soft tugs on the corners of his mouth from time to time and was strangely compelled to softly kiss him there.

They both basked in the comfortable silence that settled between them. Once Antonio had almost eaten all of his fish, João finally spoke up.

“Do you want my bed tonight?” he offered gently. “It's softer, so it'll be easier on your arm and your back. If you fell off that hard, your back will be sore in the morning for sure.”

Antonio pulled away slightly at the offer. “You are still recovering too!” he protested, not noticing a small piece of food that fell on his chin. “Thank you but I cannot take your bed, not like this. I've fallen off of horses plenty of times.”

João smirked and wiped the small piece of fish from his chin for him. Antonio's eyes briefly flickered down, and it resulted in another faint blush.

“Strange, I remember using that same argument yesterday to try to make dinner, but you wouldn't accept it,” João mused, his gaze soft as he looked at Antonio. “Please, just take it for tonight. I'm not that bad, your injuries are worse.” He smiled and set the fork down. “Only one night. Just to make sure your back isn't too sore in the morning,” he reasoned. “Your health is my first priority right now. Besides, my bed is big enough. We can both fit in it comfortably.”

Antonio looked at João with a small frown. _Why?_ he wanted to ask, _Why are you treating me so kindly, in ways I do not deserve?_ He sighed. “You know I will feel bad if I take the bed,” he grumbled. It was his last assertion, but João didn't seem to be convinced.

“I'm sure you'll get over it in the morning,” João sighed. He let his hand gently drift up to brush some hair out of Antonio's eyes to appreciate the bright green in the dim light. His thoughts had been right, Antonio's hair was incredibly soft. “Just one night,” he murmured.

Antonio had the urge to gulp though his throat was dry. It surprised him how small an act like that could send blood rushing to his cheeks, resulting in a darker flush around his face. He couldn't help but stare at the man before him, taking in all of his ruggedness and charm being highlighted perfectly. “Okay pues fine,” he blurted out, trying to distract himself for both their sakes. “I will take the bed,” he muttered, trying to ignore the irresistible smirk that formed on João's face when João realized he won. _Dios mio, this guy knows how to push the right buttons,_ he thought to himself.

“But if I like it and get used to it I will just have to take it from now on. And you have nobody to blame but yourself!” Antonio stubbornly added. João laughed and stood up as well.

“Deal,” he relented. “Like I said, my bed is big enough for both of us.” He moved his chair back to the other side of the table to finish up his own fish.

“I think my room should be clean, so you can go lay down now,” he offered. “Or you can get something else to eat, or some water. Whatever you want, I don't really care.”

Antonio had half a mind to make his way to the bedroom now, feeling exhausted and all, but it seemed unfair on his part if he did not wait until João finished his meal. So he sat back in his chair and sipped at the last of his juice. “I am waiting for you to finish your fish,” he defended himself, as if he needed to do so. “You might choke on a bone while I am asleep.”

“What's this? My friend actually cares about me?” João gasped, grinning wider . He reached across to poke Antonio's nose. “Ah, what a good day. My friend cares about my wellbeing. How nice.”

Antonio gave him a weak kick to João's shin under the table. “You don't have to act so sarcastic about it!” he replied grumpily, though there was a slight smile behind the cup of juice raised to his lips. João finished up the last piece of his fish as Antonio drank the last of his juice. João collected their dishes and tossed them into the basin to wash later. He was too tired to deal with them right now. Antonio didn't see any use in insisting that he wash the plates either. He took the candle and followed João into his room.

Upon entering João's room, Antonio realized that he had never actually seen the room, despite peeking in from time to time. The furniture was well-built and practical, just like the rest of the house was. Nothing too extravagant to show off the true wealth that João possessed. If anything, the covers that made up the bedding was more or less revealing to that said wealth. Even from afar Antonio could tell it was made from the finest quality of cotton, and soft just like João had promised.

Ready to fall face first onto the bed, Antonio set the candle down on the nightstand and carefully lifted his shirt off, wincing a bit though he minded his arm. João stared for a moment at the strong muscles that flexed with Antonio's movements, though he quickly snapped out of it and turned away just as Antonio turned around to set his shirt and worn shoes neatly in the corner of the room before sliding into the soft bed, immediately settling in and sighing in content.

João looked into his wardrobe, fidgeting nervously with his hands. He usually slept naked, but he clearly couldn't do that now. Not with Antonio there in bed with him. Antonio had gotten so annoyed by it before, after all. But none of the clothes he had would be comfortable to sleep in. He chewed on his lip as he dug through, giving a small 'a-ha' when he found a silk robe that was wrapped up in a box in the back. He forgot he had it, and forgot why he got it, but it looked comfortable and still kept him covered. He hesitated and glanced over his shoulder to make sure Antonio's eyes were closed before he started to strip off his clothes.

However, at hearing the rustling of fabric, Antonio peeked open his eyes again, just in time to be met with the view of João tugging off his pants. He felt his mouth go dry and he couldn't take his eyes off of João. João clearly was fit, if the toned muscle on his arms and legs was anything to go by. He wasn't extremely buff per se, but he was strong enough to do his job well. Strong enough to climb walls, yet thin and agile enough still to avoid getting caught. And god, _his ass_. Antonio wanted so badly to grip it, to hold onto it so hard that he left bruises in the shape of his fingers as he--

“Enjoying the view?”

João's question snapped him out of his thoughts, and Antonio blushed deeply at realizing that he had been caught. João stood there, holding his robe in front of him, though he waited to put it on. Antonio coughed and cleared his throat, forcibly turning his head away to tear his eyes off of João's body.

“No,” he defended weakly, his voice strained. “I-- uh, I....I thought one of the scratches on your back looked like it was getting infected. But it's too damn dark, I can't tell.”

João hummed in response, clearly not believing him. “Well, infection is a very serious thing,” he mused. He padded over, closer to the candle, and Antonio felt his heart stop. He could just reach out and touch that perfectly tanned skin and feel the muscles rippling underneath. He didn't even notice the scratches, they were almost completely healed over by now and did nothing to mar the beauty of João's body. If anything, it only added to his ruggedness.

“Do you see anything?” João asked, his voice almost a purr. Antonio's mouth was dry as he struggled for the right words.

“N-No,” he mumbled, mentally slapping himself. _So much for being smooth,_ he scolded. João smirked and slipped the robe on, tying it loosely shut. Antonio tried not to think about how his pants felt just a bit tighter now and blew out the candle as João slipped into bed on the other side. Antonio settled down on his side, holding his bound arm above his head slightly to keep it from hurting.

“Boa noite,” João whispered to him, and Antonio shuddered. Something about João's voice made his heart race, or maybe it was the fact that he was laying right next to him, with only a thin, clinging piece of fabric covering him. Antonio quickly waved that thought away. No, he couldn't be having those thoughts about his friend.

“B-Buenas noches,” he mumbled back. He closed his eyes and tried to will himself to sleep, but the room felt much warmer now, and his thoughts kept drifting back to João laying next to him.

He did eventually fall asleep from his own exhaustion, his dreams filled with thoughts of João and having that damn near perfect body pressed up against him.

João meanwhile was having his own internal debate as he stared up at the ceiling. Antonio was staring at him. He was _definitely_ staring at him. There was no mistaking that gaze that he caught over his shoulder. But...if he was interested like that, wouldn't he have done something more? A comment, a compliment? João sighed heavily. He was reading too much into it, no doubt. Maybe Antonio was just lost in thought. He started to doze off as well, only barely awake when Antonio shifted over closer to him. Antonio slung an arm around his waist and hummed, snuggling up to him. In his barely awake state, João relaxed in the hold, his hazy mind only able to come up with how nice that felt. So he rolled over and snuggled up to the warmth pressed up against his side, one arm flopping lazily over Antonio. If he was more awake, he might have noticed something pressing up against his leg, but he was too asleep to even give it a thought. They both settled down, comfortable in the feel of having another body to hold onto and take warmth from.

For the first time in days, they felt content.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: the tavern scene was written first in a choose your own adventure format for shits and giggles. It was a fun day. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! If you liked it, please consider leaving a comment and/or a kudos ^^


	6. Market Run

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I know it's been a REALLY long time since I promised this was up, but it's finslly here! And it's really big, there just was no good place to stop ;;; This chapter is 10k words. I hope you enjoy!

When the morning sun rose, Antonio began to flutter his eyes open. The light had bled through the curtains and gave the room a soft, warm glow. He shifted slightly in place, his movements slow and his dulled mind preoccupied with the attempt to remember his dream. João’s bare body pressing and rocking against him was something he knew didn’t happen, no matter how blurred last night’s memory now seemed. He yawned, choosing to instead indulge in the coziness of the bed. He stretched his legs and lower back with a small grunt, finding he was already paying the price of the fall. He stopped mid-stretch however, not so much because of the ache burning his muscles, but rather because someone shifted lightly in response to his movements.

That was right, he slept last night next to his boss.

Antonio’s eyes widened in realization, more awake now that he looked down and saw the sleeping figure of the noble thief he saved. Only it wasn’t so alarming after all. Antonio exhaled slowly and began to crane his neck slightly to see him. He had never been this close and so intimate with him before. His arm had fallen asleep a long time ago, but João looked so comfortable using it as a pillow, he did not want to disturb him. Antonio’s thumb carefully pushed a loose strand of hair away from his brow. João only let out a shuddering sigh, tucking himself closer towards his chest. Antonio gazed at him, a rush of pleasant warmth going through him. and smiled softly, his eyes half-lidded from endearment.

João is a beautiful man. Never before he had seen  _ anyone _ hold this much beauty. His strong brow, his proud nose, his thick lashes, the lunar so perfectly placed under his eye, the light freckles that decorated his sunkissed cheeks...his lips, the column of his soft neck, the bareness of his shoulders that were half exposed for his sleeve was dropped daintily over his arm. Everything about João was perfect in his eyes; with his smile, the brightness of his eyes, the sharpness of his tongue, his loyalty and pride.

Antonio hovered his fingers over João’s slightly parted lips. He had the burning urge to kiss him, to wake him up that way, to see him fluttering his eyes open and meet his own and smile at him. To fully return the embrace. It’d make him the happiest man in the world. It was alright to recognize and admire beauty from afar, Antonio told himself, his medallion warm against his chest. He stared and dreamed, watching João’s shoulder rise and fall with his breath.

João stirred, but very lightly. Antonio quickly pulled his hand away, closing his eyes and feigning sleep. João settled closer with a contented sigh, mumbling something faintly under his breath. Adorable and beautiful.

But as soon as his nose touched his bare breast from the closeness, João blinked blearily. His eyes were hazy and a sleepy childish pout formed on his mouth. It took him a moment to realize where he was and who was he with. Much like Antonio, his eyes widened in shock and confusion.

Only he ended up pulling away. His fists curled tightly onto the sheets as he lounged on the other side. His dulled mind raced to remember how he got here and he also could not help but note how much colder he was.

Antonio reacted the same, unsure how to make of it because he didn’t exactly protest against their closeness, like a real man should. His cheeks blushed as an awkward silence fell. For once João’s sharp tongue was dull.

“I-I should go make us breakfast,” Antonio finally said, his cheeks a deeper red. He threw the twisted sheets to the side. “I ah, thank you for letting me stay the night.”

João noticed his flustered look as he made his way out the door, and for his sake said nothing else. Antonio did not even bother fumbling with his shirt, he simply slipped into his shoes and walked out. He thought it was best to visit Catalina and apologize. With a carrot in hand, he caressed her mane and shoulders, kissing her and promising her he would never mistreat her again.

After letting the horses out to have their fill in wild foliage, he decided it was best to fix breakfast now. He did not want to face João yet, and he did not want to go back to him empty handed after he promised to make them breakfast. He did not know how he was going to do it, especially when there was dishes yet to be washed. He was cruelly reminded what was needed to be bought, so he just used what little egg they had with a bit of ham to make a simple meal. It was a bit more time consuming and exhausting but he was doing it. He hummed to himself as he was in a much better mood, having tried to forget the awkward start to the morning.

João shuffled out not too long after the smell of food woke him back up, in actual clothes to Antonio's chagrin. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, though he tried not to let it show that he actually had slept better than he could ever remember. He didn't want to make things even more tense between them. He instead put on a neutral expression when he walked into the kitchen and saw the simple meal.

“Done trying to impress me?” he teased, standing beside Antonio and watching him. Antonio chuckled and stepped to the side when João stepped closer to give him more room.

“Huevo con jamón, the breakfast of kings,” he boldly proclaimed as he finished his scrambling. It was a bit burnt on the ham, but Antonio hoped that João would not mind. “I, uh, I need a little help with the serving,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck with his good hand. João smiled softly, glad that Antonio wasn't trying to evade him.

“Of course. Go sit down, I'll take care of it,” he assured him, patting his back before giving him a gentle push towards the table. Antonio took his place at the table with a small sigh and waited patiently as João grabbed two plates and cups and set them on the table. João then scooped the contents of the pan out onto the plates evenly as Antonio watched with a small smile. He set it in the sink and then poured out the rest of the milk into their glasses, humming softly.

“We have to go into town today, I need stuff,” he mused. Antonio glanced down guiltily towards the middle of the table. It was his job to do so yesterday.

“I will help you hitch the horses,” he said with a smirk. He tried his hardest not to seem so helpless as he did last night, taking his time gathering up the cooked eggs on his fork. “They are loose right now but I can easily lead them in, trust me,” he assured him. “We need some basic food stuffs, some extra supplies for the horses and ah! We need bandages and salve.”

João grinned as he watched Antonio slowly eat. “I can hitch them up myself,” he said. “But if you'd like, you can come with me. You can be in charge of keeping the list.” He paused for a moment and looked at Antonio with a small frown. “By the way, why did you not leave a note when you left?” he asked, making Antonio stiffen slightly. “It could have at least been a better goodbye than leaving without a word.”

Antonio looked at him with saddened eyes. “I did not think,” he began to say, picking at his food, “that it would matter at the time. I...I left knowing I was going to...turn you in.” He put his fork down on the table with force. “Dios mio! I know it's hard to believe this asshole now, but I did not mean it,” he admitted. “I just never thought... it would hurt you... this much.”

João sighed and reached across the table to lightly rest his hand on top of Antonio's. Antonio blushed lightly at the contact, but didn't dare make any move that could be mistaken as pulling his hand away.

“I know you were going to turn me in,” João murmured. “But you didn't, and that's why we're having breakfast together instead of you watching me become a decoration for the town square.” He hesitated briefly, glancing away. “And...I'm sorry too. I...I did not think my profession would bother you,” he mumbled.

“I believe it is wrong, and what is worse is knowing you go out risking your life nearly every night,” Antonio sighed, giving João's hand a small squeeze. “I know I sound like I am contradicting myself, but I was confused then. Now, as long as you are alive and well, I am happy.”

João smiled softly at Antonio's words, though he felt a pang of guilt for realizing he made Antonio worry by going out on jobs and risking his life. He remembered Marianne's refusal to continue to be a front for him. Madrid was one of the more frequent spots that he got orders from, with her cutting off help he would need to take a lot of time, months perhaps, finding somewhere trustworthy enough to continue his business. Or...

“If it really bothers you that much, then I will stop,” he offered. “I have just a few more jobs, and then I will stop taking them, no matter the pay.”

Antonio stared at him wide-eyed in disbelief. He tried to open his mouth to speak but he could not utter a single phrase. His mind feverishly tried to process what João had just declared, a change that would bring about a major shift in his life forever. Could he really tell him to stop stealing? Was it in his right to do so? Granted, it wasn't the ideal job, but Antonio cannot bring him to suddenly change his livelihood for his sake, and for his sake only. Why, they haven't even known each other for long. What difference does that make?

Antonio began shaking his head, he felt himself torn in two places. “J-João,” he stammered, clutching his hand and gripping it tight as if he could slip away at any moment. “I cannot make you do that. It is your decision, not mine to make.” Without thinking, Antonio took João's hand and pressed the back against his cheek. “And as long as you are happy,” he continued, “I am happy as well.”

João blushed and cupped Antonio's cheek gently, making Antonio's chest warm as he leaned into the touch. He took in the warmth and assurance, sighing happily. João smiled softly and stroked his thumb back and forth over the apple of his cheek. He couldn't get over how soft his skin was, even if his hands were so callused.

“Antonio...” he murmured. He glanced away, chewing on his lip. He took a deep breath to try to clear his head before he acted without thinking and did something he would regret. “...Then I'll tone down how dangerous the jobs are,” he reasoned, looking back at him. “That's a good compromise yeah? I don't go out very often anyways. Not many people want stuff to be stolen that they're willing to pay my prices.”

“Vale,” Antonio whispered, looking into the lovely bright shades of João's eyes. “Gracias once again João, for everything.” A moment of silence followed, one that they both took comfort in. Antonio could not do anything else but look at the man in front of him fondly. João stared back with a soft smile, thinking that maybe he wasn't overthinking things after all, but then Antonio cleared his throat and quickly pulled away to return to his meal, making João's heart twist.

“I-I'm glad that is settled then,” Antonio said with a nervous smile, picking at his food. “We have to hurry, it is getting late. If we want fresher items we will have to leave now.”

“We're going to need food for lunch and dinner at the very least,” João agreed. He gestured to their half eaten plates of food. “Let's get something at the market. How about you put together a list while I go get washed up?” he suggested. “We can get something at the market to eat for breakfast if you're still hungry.”

“A pastelito sounds good,” Antonio agreed as he kindled the fire so João could start to heat up his bath water. João smiled at the kind gesture and went about getting his bath prepared as Antonio found a piece of paper and a pencil.

While João bathed, Antonio wrote down all that he needed, his handwriting barely legible scratches for his left hand could not do much else but hold a fret. Antonio did not think he could ever do something so tedious but be so happy at the same time. 

_ I hope I have better luck with the horses,  _ he thought as he looked at how messy his handwriting was. And he somewhat did, rounding up Catalina and El Domingo to begin strapping them down. If he did not have two stubborn, old, lethargic horses overfed on grass, he would have been done much sooner.

“I want you two on your best behavior,” he gently scolded. “Our master is a very important man.” He grinned as he scratched under their jaws. Feeling as if they were all ready, he went to the cottage to check on João, who had finished his bath and was now fastening his cloak over his typical tight clothes. João paused when he heard Antonio come in and he smiled over his shoulder at him.

“Ready to go?” he asked, finishing clipping the brooch on and turning to face him. Antonio wanted to tell him that the cloak wasn't necessary, in fact it might be dangerous for him with how hot it was, but he soon reminded himself of the possibility of being recognized. That thought filled Antonio with dread. He swallowed heavily, but kept his cheerful disposition.

“Si, I have already hitched Catalina and El Domingo,” he answered. “I left Ofelia outside to graze some more. I did not know if you wanted to hitch her up instead.” 

“Just Catalina and El Domingo should be good enough, but we should put Ofelia back in the stable. She won't run off on her own, but if she gets spooked then I don't want to lose her,” João mused. He sighed and reluctantly stepped away to go outside, with Antonio following behind.

While Antonio made sure that Catalina and El Domingo were healthy enough to make the trip to town and back, João gently guided Ofelia back into her stall. Once he closed the door behind her, he gave her a few scritches behind the ear and laughed when she snorted.

“I know, I know,” he teased. “But it will only be for a little bit. You will get to go out again soon enough.” He went back outside, where Antonio was already waiting on the cart. He hopped up to sit down next to him.

“You will have to lead them,” Antonio said, gesturing to his bound arm. “I cannot hold them back like I should with one hand.”

“You can handle the list then,” João assured him, taking the reins and leading the two horses out of the small clearing by the side of the river instead of the small path, since the path was too narrow for both horses and the cart to fit in. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure the cart didn't leave noticeable tracks in the gravelly dirt.

“We do not need much, but hopefully we aren't too late for the fresher produce.”  _ And I have to go buy new guitars,  _ Antonio thought excitedly.  _ I may not be able to play for him but maybe I can teach him the basics tonight! _

“Produce?” João repeated. “I know we need more tomatoes, but what else do we need?”

Antonio took out the folded piece of parchment from where it was stuffed between his pants and waistline. After unfolding it he frowned, not quite understanding what he had written. He scoffed, more embarrassed than anything. João glanced over, even though he couldn't make out anything either.

“Uh, I think we need...hm,” He concentrated making out the harsh, frustrated scribbles in front.

“You have nice handwriting,” João lied, glancing back ahead to lead the horses through a slightly wider opening to head back onto the main path.

“Oye, no need to patronize me!” Antonio defended himself, feeling a bit helpless. “I'm right handed!” He went back to focusing on the scribbled down list, slowly making out what he thought it said. “We definitely need tomatoes, it would be nice to have pomegranates. Apples, grapes, cabbage, potatoes...eggs, flour. Some spices, sugar, salve. Extra grain for the horses.” His brow furrowed. “Hopefully that is it,” he chuckled unsurely, folding the paper back into place. “Quite a few things but I think we can manage.”

“Pomegranates huh?” João asked. “I don't think I've had one before. I've seen them, but I never bothered buying any.”

Antonio's injured pride was quickly forgotten at the question. “Never had granadas?” he questioned, a smile spreading his lips. “They are very sweet and tart, a bit frustrating to eat though. We must buy some then,” he sighed as he minded the new path they were taking. “When we were very small,” he began, trying to keep a conversation going in the meantime. “My great uncle used to cover my cousins and I in old sheets and gave us pomegranate seeds in little cups. He always hated seeing us in stained clothing, especially after what my cousin Lovino did when he got a handful of them. Once my uncle's back was turned, he would pop the seeds on our shirts. Purple stains on white shirts, hard to wash off. Used to make my cousin Feli cry. The cabroncito.”

He laughed fondly and turned to João, only to flush when he saw João listening intently with a fond smile on his face. “Ha, you are going to have to get used to me rambling from now on,” he said.

“Trust me, I don't mind. It's nice,” João assured him. He leaned against Antonio as they headed down the path, a small smile on his face.

“First time I ever heard that,” Antonio laughed, his green eyes gleaming. “Now, I would tell you what happened when Lovino and I went to France for a week. It involves French men and French bread but we are almost there,” he said as the small town loomed ahead. He knew he would need to be more careful about what he said. He might be heard by someone listening a bit too closely. 

João sighed and tugged his hood down lower. He never did like having to be so cautious, especially since the town nearby seemed to mind its own business, but he could never be too careful when his bounty was so high. He steered the two horses into town and stopped on the outside edge of the wide open area where all of the stalls and best stores were. He took out his pouch of money and handed it to Antonio. 

“Here’s some money, I’ll keep watch over the cart while you go get everything,” he said. “If you see something you like, don’t hesitate to buy it. My coffers won’t suffer from a cake or two.” 

“I ah uh gracias,” Antonio nearly fumbled over the surprisingly heavy money bag, trying his best to conceal it. “I will try not to be a target for pickpockets.” He hopped off the cart and began to disappear into the larger concentration of crowds, but he waved back before he truly began his trip. João gave a small wave in return before he leaned back against the cart and folded his arms behind his head. 

He knew it was unfair to make Antonio get everything from the market, especially with his arm the way it was, but if he had gone to shop then he would have surely forgotten something. While he waited, he moved the horses to a nearby spot in the shade to try to keep them out of the heat of the midday sun, which was just as harsh as yesterday. 

Antonio also tried to stay in the shade by keeping under the canopies and tents of the stall keepers, but even that proved challenging. He managed to buy and carry half of the stuff, taking a few rests along the way to keep pace. He had just gotten acquainted with the town’s local guitar maker which gave him excitement and the needed energy to keep going. His eyes scanned the area in which João should have been staying, knowing he wasn’t foolish enough to stay in the heat of the sun. When he caught sight of him and the horses under the shade, Antonio sighed in relief and walked over to drop his burden into the cart. 

“Next time, let us shop in the mornings,” he groaned. “Only in the mornings.” He wiped the sweat off his brow as João chuckled in amusement. “One more trip,” Antonio assured him, though it was mainly out of self-encouragement. 

João leaned down to ruffle Antonio’s hair. “You can make more than one trip if you want. Sit and rest for a spell,” he said as he sat back on the cart. “Has everything gone smoothly? Nobody trying to rip you off, no pickpockets?”

Antonio happily obliged, taking in the cool of the shade and the sweetness of João’s words as he climbed up to sit next to him on the cart. He gave a long exhale before answering. “Well, I hope I wasn’t ripped off. I do not think they saw me as a prime target, what with me looking like this and haggling some of the stall keepers,” he chuckled weakly. “But I did see one cabroncito, peeking into the cloak of some aristocrat. He was so small, probably 7 or 8, and I stood by watching and wondering, is this little guy going to do it? And he did! Made off with two gold coins! I found myself cheering for him ha, and you know what? He reminded me of you. I thought, this was probably little João off to feed himself for a week. Ah what’s two mere coins for a rich man? I’m actually glad he did it,” he laughed, though when he looked at João, he was surprised to see a cold, deep frown on his face. 

“It’s not as great as you think,” João muttered bitterly. “It really wasn’t good. Stealing was all I ever did. Sometimes I could only eat every few days because I wasn’t good enough at stealing.” He sighed deeply and shook his head. “Well, I certainly hope that kid doesn’t grow up like me,” he said simply. “This world would not be able to handle a second me. Especially not one younger.”

João’s response was like a bucket of water thrown at his face. He needed to be more aware. In retrospect, his observation of the boy was rather shallow and biased. Who was he to romanticize the life of a thief, much less a younger one? 

“João, I am so sorry,” he began, lending sympathetic eyes to the actual thief in front of him. “I never realized...I always assumed-- I did not mean--” He took a deep breath, to recollect his thoughts and to prevent himself from rambling. “I am always having the wrong view of what you do, aren’t I?” he asked, his voice softer. “You’re a good man in my eyes, João. It’s so hard for me to put the two and two together. A good man, a thief? I will be lying if I said I fully understood that. Please forgive me for being so insensitive.” He hung his head in shame. Of course he doesn’t understand and he probably never will. He had a loving family for the most part of his childhood, he never had to worry. 

He looked up when João rested a hand on his back, his eyes meeting João’s as João smiled gently at him. 

“You didn’t know any better,” João assured him. “Next time, try to be a little more aware of what that means. If you see a kid trying to pickpocket someone else, give him a few more coins and tell him to find an apprenticeship.” João ruffled his hair gently to try to cheer him up. “Come on, cheer up. People will think they can scam you if they see you down like this. Smile,” he instructed, pushing one corner of Antonio’s mouth up. 

Antonio laughed, his eyes bright once again. He could not continue to mope with João around. He was still feeling a bit guilty, but he stepped forward with a much broader perspective. He looked back to the market. 

“It is a good thing the crowds lessened, but hopefully I can buy the better products. I won’t be long,” he promised. He made his way through and glancing back only one more time before he slipped further into the market.

In the end, he made a total of three trips. He had hoped he could cross paths with the child thief once again, but he was long gone. It was a far-fetched thought, to hopefully redo his error, but such things only came when least expected. He carried the last of the groceries, together with a paper box tied with a string and a bouquet of flowers covered in a damp cloth, and returned to João. Antonio took a wide circle around so he didn’t get João’s attention. It didn’t work anyways unfortunately. The minute he got close to the back of the cart João snapped around, his hand flinching before he realized it was Antonio and he relaxed. Antonio wasn’t sure whether he felt impressed by João’s perception or scared of what might have happened if João’s hand was faster than his mind. 

“You startled me,” João sighed, walking over to help Antonio load the last of the groceries into the cart. He stopped and his eyes widened slightly in surprise when Antonio shoved the bouquet and the box at him. 

“I am hoping that a Portuguese friend of mine has an appreciation for flowers,” Antonio smirked. “I think they are just as sweet as my friend. Ah! And pomegranate fruit tarts, my friend was craving sweets. I upsetted him today, I hope this will cheer him up. Do you think he will like it?”

“O-Of course, but I think he would feel bad for not getting you anything in return,” João mumbled, and Antonio could have sworn he saw a tinge of a blush peeking out from under the shadow of João’s hood. Antonio smiled eagerly. 

“He shouldn’t,” he said, then added, “although it would be nice if he shared.” He laughed as he moved to hop up onto the front of the cart. João gave a weak smile and hopped up to sit down next to him, grabbing the reins and clicking his tongue. Antonio smiled gently and gave João a small pat on the leg. 

“I would also like to remind that friend that he might have not had anyone to rely on before, but he has someone now who loves him very much,” he smiled. “Someone who he can trust.”

João visibly tensed at the touch, and Antonio worried for a moment that he had gone too far, but João didn’t pursue the topic any further. They stayed silent until they got to the forest again. Antonio was thankful for the cool shade that the trees provided. 

“So...I take it you had a good childhood?” João finally spoke up. “You seem educated. What made you become a stablehand instead?”

“Yes, I suppose I did,” Antonio mused. “My great-uncle was the educated one, he just passed his knowledge down to me and my cousins like a private tutor. Said he was preparing us for university in Roma, but when my mother died, I couldn’t stay with them. My father wanted me in Spain so that I could work alongside with him in the fields. His friends gambled a lot, they took me one day to a horse race and discovered that I can jockey. 

I was pretty good at it, saving up my share of championship pots so that I could move in with my great-uncle. Ah, I was sort of gambling with them, but they were always pushing me to go beyond the limits of the horse, saying I had a special connection with them, but that resulted in one stupid move. 

The horse tripped, broke her ankle, I broke my collarbone. I lost the big race and all of my money with it. They shot the horse and rejected me as a jockey. Couldn’t find a job after that, I hated working in the fields and I was only comfortable working with horses. So I became a stablehand, for the good horse who died from my stupid mistake.” He squeezed his arms slightly. “And to stay away from my father...and his friends.”

João felt at a loss for words, not sure what to say or do to comfort Antonio. “I’m...sorry to hear that,” he mumbled. “But look at the life you have now. You’re a stablehand for the most famous thief in Europe, and I’m giving you a good life right?” 

“Is-- Is that it?” Antonio asked, looking at him with saddened eyes. “I am just your stablehand-- no, your stableboy? I know you may think of me as naive and cowardly but I know what I believe in.” 

“You are so much more than just my stablehand,” João defended quickly. “You’re my friend Antonio, one of the only true friends I’ve ever had. I wish there was something I could do to make it all better for you. I want nothing but the best for you.” He paused before gripping Antonio’s hand while keeping the horses on the path with his other hand. “I can find them, I have connections. I can have them killed for you,” he offered, his face coldly serious. 

Antonio shook his head and sighed. “A lot of people have wronged me in the past. Dons, bosses, guards, my father and his friends...but if I were to have them dead, that won’t solve anything,” he said. “I am aware of what you might have done in the past João, I am not that naive. It did frighten me at first, but you promised me you wouldn’t do anything dangerous anymore...please.”

João looked forward with a deep frown, staying silent for several moments, but finally relented with a deep sigh as his shoulders sank. “Fine,” he grumbled, looking at Antonio again, and his voice softened. “Can I help you somehow?” 

“Your intentions are good, because you are a good man,” Antonio replied sincerely, resting his hand on João’s arm. “But you cannot fix the world. You’d die trying.” He chuckled and gave him a bright smile. “I am satisfied knowing you are right here. You also deserve the best João.”

João blushed lightly and looked back ahead to lead the horses down the path to travel along the bank of the river again. “At least it’s cool under the trees,” he muttered, trying to make small talk to clear the air of the serious mood that lingered.

“Ah, I thought I was going to get heatstroke in the market,” Antonio complained, though he brightened up when the cottage started to come into view. 

Once they got up to João’s house, João led the horses up against the stables before unhitching them. He led them back into the stable, then secured the cart against the side of the stable. He grabbed the many different groceries, able to carry much more than Antonio, though Antonio still tried to help as best he could by carrying the pomegranate tarts and flowers, and opening the door for João. João thanked him and went inside, setting everything down on the counter for Antonio to start to put away while he went outside to grab the rest of the food. Antonio organized the pantry, putting everything away in a nice and neat fashion. He unwrapped the flowers, arranged them in an old vase, and placed it in the middle of the table. He placed his hand on his side and nodded in approval, the bouquet making the room much livelier. He was looking forward to the tart. Once it was all put away, they settled down at the table to start eating their own slices, the bouquet of flowers sitting between them.

“Thank you again for buying this,” João said, smiling at Antonio. “It’s delicious.”

“I’m glad you like it!” Antonio said, unable to contain his excitement at buying something that João liked. “I’ll buy another if you’d like. I have to go back for something tomorrow.”

“That isn’t necessary. I don’t want to burn out on pomegranates so quickly,” João assured him, waving him off. “It’s funny you mention going back, I have to go back for something tomorrow as well.”

“Oh,” Antonio said, and he paused in his eating. “May I ask what are you going to pick up?”

João’s face heated up and he rubbed the back of his neck. “Well...I guess I really should ask first to make sure you’re okay with it,” he muttered, glancing at him with an unsure look. He glanced away again and stayed silent for a few more tense moments, weighing the best and worst outcomes in his head. 

“Okay,” he sighed. “I, ah...I need you to teach me how to, er...” He trailed off, mumbling the rest under his breath as he avoided Antonio’s eyes. 

Antonio smiled in amusement, cocking one eyebrow to show his piqued interest. He set his fork down, his bright smile hardly fading. “Teach you what exactly?” he asked.

“I don’t know how to read or write okay!” João snapped, turning his head away with a grimace. “I’m the greatest damn thief in Europe and I can’t even read the bounties they have up for me!” 

Antonio stood still, staring at João. And he made a small noise, one that sounded like a forced half-chuckle, a noise that maybe came out in disbelief. 

“Really, is that all?” he questioned, smiling even brighter as João looked at him with a bewildered expression. “Why should you be ashamed for asking? Anybody can learn to read and write at any age!” 

“You’re not bothered by it?” 

“Why would I?” Antonio asked, as if it was the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard. He took a bite of his tart. “Does not matter.” He waved it off and picked at his plate, trying to get the seeds with his fork. “A real pendejo is one who goes their entire life not making a single attempt to learn something new.” He gave up and resorted to his fingers to eat the rest of the seeds. “I’m glad you liked the tart,” he said. 

Seeing that João was done with his slice as well, Antonio opened up the box again to cut himself another slice. “Would you like another slice?” he offered. 

“Of course,” João said, holding his plate out for Antonio to set another slice on. “I never had the time for it, you know?” he explained. “I had more important things to worry about. Finding my next meal, finding the money for my next meal, dodging guards...I should’ve stayed with the orphanage, but it was too crowded for me and the sisters running it were too strict.”

“Ha, Lovino would just breathe around the sisters at school and they would be on his case,” Antonio chuckled, sitting back to start eating his own second slice. “What is it then that you need to pick up?” he asked.

“Blackboards and chalk,” João explained. “So you can teach me without using up too much paper and ink.” 

“Ah, I see,” Antonio mused. “Though it would be in Spanish. I don’t know how to read or write Portuguese…” He stopped mid-thought, pausing for a moment before continuing, “I can teach you to read and write in Spanish and then you can teach me to speak Portuguese, vale?”

“Okay,” João agreed. “You can teach me the basics, and then I can find books to learn Portuguese on my own.”

“Sounds great,” Antonio answered with genuine enthusiasm. “After you buy the materials, we can start with the Spanish alphabet and your name. We could do this every evening when I am done with my work outside. Honestly, I never taught anyone else before, this will be fun.” He pushed away his plate, getting a slight headache. He pulled up his hand to rub out the dull pain on the side of his head before laying it on his legs again. João noticed and frowned, pausing in his eating.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “Do you need to go lay down?”

“No, no,” Antonio gave a reassuring smile. “This always happens when I eat too much sweets. I forgot I ate a mini mixed fruit tart before we left the market.” 

“Do you need some water?” 

“A glass of water sounds good,” Antonio agreed. João got up and grabbed a glass to fill it up with water, and he set it down in front of Antonio. He sat back down and went back to eating his slice of tart. Antonio gulped down the glass greedily. He chuckled weakly. “I’m sorry, I should have bought you one. I was just so tired and craving something sweet.” 

“Don’t be sorry. I told you to get something for yourself,” João sighed as he finished up his second slice. He got to his feet again and took their plates, and looked at the empty glass. “You drank that quickly,” he noted. “Do you need more?”

“Yes please,” Antonio said, and João took the glass as well. He set their plates and forks in the washing basin and filled up the glass with more water to give it to Antonio. He hesitated before moving to stand behind him and resting his fingers lightly on Antonio’s temples, making Antonio jump in surprise and blush lightly at the touch. 

“May I?” João asked. “I’ve found that when I have a headache, a massage usually helps.”

“A-Ah, yes. Yes please,” Antonio said, trying his best to relax. It was almost impossible to do so, especially when João started to gently massage his temples and the sides of his head. The thief’s touch was so light and gentle, but Antonio could feel the strength in his hands. Antonio hummed and closed his eyes, tilting his head back to indulge in João’s touch. 

“How about you take my bed again tonight?” João offered. “I’ll take the guest room instead to give you space. To, ah, avoid what happened this morning.” 

Antonio flushed as he remembered waking up next to João. The morning sun on João’s face made him look even more radiant, but the warmth from the sun could not compare to the warmth that Antonio felt from João being pressed up against his chest. Antonio shook the thought away. He wouldn’t mind doing so again, but saying so might make João suspicious of him. Even without João in it, Antonio couldn’t deny that his bed was amazingly soft and comfortable. 

“If you do not mind,” he said. “I do not want to be a burden.”

“Oh please. You saved my life, giving you my bed for one more night is the least I can do,” João scoffed, waving him off. 

“Then...can I go lay down and nap?” Antonio asked hesitantly, then gasped. “I-It is not my intention to skip out on my chores. I will work twice as hard tomorrow to make up for--” He was cut off by João’s hand clapping over his mouth.

“Antonio, listen to me,” João hissed. “You are going to go take a nap and not feel any guilt over it, and tomorrow you are going to work just as you normally would, with no effort to make up for today or so help me God I will tie you down to the bed to make you rest.”

“B-But it’s just a headache!” Antonio defended. “It does not even hurt that badly, I am only tired from the market run!”

“Even more reason for you to rest,” João shot back. “What if you’re tired while raking, and you trip and fall and scrape yourself up? Or, worse, you fall on the rake and impale yourself.” He sighed and patted Antonio’s shoulder. “Go take a nap. I’m saying this as your friend and as your boss, I do not want you working while you’re tired and in pain.”

Antonio frowned, but he knew that João was right. He huffed and finished the rest of his water before he got to his feet. “When I wake up, I will start to work,” he promised. 

“Sure,” João said, a playful smile on his face as he washed their dishes. Antonio pouted but shuffled off to João’s room anyways. He hesitated before laying on the bed, giving a quick glance to the door. Would it be right to sleep in his underwear in João’s bed? Antonio shook his head and sighed. No, it would be taking advantage of João’s kindness. Antonio settled for taking off his shirt, like last night, and he laid down on the bed and got comfortable under the covers. He took a deep breath in and slowly hissed it out as he settled down on the bed. He could faintly smell João’s scent on the pillows, and he turned over to nestle his head deeper into the pillows. He couldn’t help but give a small hum of content and smiled gently. Surely it wasn’t wrong for him to enjoy João’s scent at least. It was earthy, from a man that spent most of his time crawling along dirt and mud to sneak in and hide. Antonio smiled more and hugged a pillow to his chest, the possibility of João walking in on him not crossing his mind. 

Thankfully, João was instead busying himself with cleaning up the kitchen, and when that was done, he got himself and Ofelia ready for the trip to town. After taking Catalina and El Domingo to town that day already, he did not want to risk exhausting them to the point where they refuse to move halfway there or back. He flipped his hood back over his head and hopped up on Ofelia’s back once she had her saddle and two saddlebags strapped on. 

João rode carefully into town, making sure to be careful with the money pouch in the inside pocket of his cloak. The late afternoon sun was nearly unbearable, especially with his cloak covering most of himself, but he needed to get the blackboards and chalk as soon as possible. 

He felt a strange giddiness at finally being able to learn how to read and write. Soon he could stop relying on so many maps and drawings to figure out what his targets were. 

He frowned at the thought. No, he wasn’t going to get very many targets now. Not from other people, anyways. João sighed and shook his head. There was no need for him to steal for himself, anyways. He had everything he could ever want, and the money to pay for anything that might catch his eye anyways. He stabled Ofelia in the town, promising the boy working a gold coin if he took extra care for her, and headed down the streets to try to find somewhere that he could get blackboards. He took shortcuts through alleys where he could, and avoided the more main roads. The less he was seen, the better. 

Unfortunately, he was spotted by the wrong person as he was cutting through an alley that led straight into the main market, and a hand clapped on his shoulder. 

“Give--” João whirled around, dagger already out and pointed at the man’s throat before the other man had a chance to finish. The man dropped his own chipped, dull knife and put his hands up, his eyes wide with fear before recognition flashed across his face.

“Wait a second, Medeiros?” he asked, then grinned and clapped his hands together. “Medeiros! You gotta help--” João clapped his hand over the man’s mouth.

“Not so loud,” João hissed, taking his hand away. “What do you want? I’m busy.”

“I-- I need your help,” the man whispered. “Some bastard cheated me out of all of my money!”

“Again? I think you are just bad at cards,” João scoffed. 

“He cheated! I swear, I saw him stack the deck!” the man insisted, gripping João’s shirt. João pushed him away to arm’s length and dusted his shirt off. 

“I’m not giving you money,” he huffed. 

“I’m not asking for money, I want revenge,” the man explained in a hushed voice. “I want you to steal that bastard’s money from him. I’ll give you a cut as payment.”

“I’ve got better things to do than risk my life for a few silvers,” João retorted. 

“This guy is a duke! Rich, very rich! He is still in the bar, I can show you!” the man said, and João rolled his eyes and kicked the dull knife away before putting his own dagger back in its hilt. 

“Fine,” he relented. “Ten minutes.”

“Yes, it will be quick, I promise!” the man insisted. João tugged his hood down a little lower and followed the man around a corner, when suddenly the man gasped and pointed to a ostentatiously-dressed man that was far away, and walking down the street. 

“Oh, perfect! He’s going back home, you can go in and steal all of his stuff!” the man whispered. 

“That is not what I agreed to,” João hissed. “I agreed only to steal his money off of him. Pickpocketing and breaking into someone’s house are very different.”

“You can have whatever you want from him! I only want the two gold pieces he took from me!” the man insisted. “Please, I’m begging you! Those thirty silvers were all I have!”

João sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ll look into it. If it is too dangerous, I will not bother,” he huffed.

“Thank you! Please, wreak as much havoc as you can,” the man whispered. 

“I’ll see what I can do,” João grumbled. He set off to follow the extravagant man, his brow furrowed in annoyance. He didn’t have time for this dammit, he needed to get the blackboards and chalk and get back home to make dinner with Antonio! He kept a long distance between himself and the “duke”, although he quickly figured out once the man shuffled into a shop and took his place behind the counter that this man was no duke, only a merchant that most likely lived in the space above his shop. 

João sighed in exasperation as he walked by the building, giving a quick glance into one of the windows. He paused briefly, seeing a beautiful, deep red guitar that even from outside he could tell was carefully polished. It had a border that at first appeared to be a plain white, but when the light caught it, it shone in silvers alongside the white. The pearl border extended out into a tree between the sound hole and the bridge, and along the bottom a swan craned its neck upwards towards the tree.

João hurried along before the man or anyone else noticed him staring, but he made his decision: he would run the petty errand, get whatever money he could from the shop, and take the guitar as his payment. 

Finding the blackboards and chalk was easy, and he carried them back to put in the saddlebags after paying the boy what he promised. He rode back to his house, making sure to not push Ofelia too much so that she had plenty of energy for that night. He sighed, realizing that it would be too much for her to go check out another target as well to try to get two targets done in one night. Personal targets always took priority over jobs though. 

He rode back to his house, making sure to leave the saddlebags and saddle near Ofelia’s stall for later. He went inside with the blackboards and chalk, surprised at how quiet the house was. He was expecting Antonio to be up and cleaning by then. 

_ Maybe he actually listened to me and rested _ , he thought. He went about getting everything prepared for dinner, settling on cooking up a stew so it could sit and simmer while he cleaned up the stable and gave the horses their dinner. He got everything chopped up and tossed into the pot as quietly and quickly as he could, and he left his shirt and cloak on the couch while he went outside. 

He changed out the horse’s hay and gave them all feed and fresh water, exhausted by the time he was finished. He severely underestimated how much work it would be to take care of three horses. He cursed softly when he trudged inside and realized that he didn’t brush any of them. He turned to do so, but stopped when he heard his bedroom door open. He turned around and looked at Antonio, who was rubbing his eyes as he tried to wake up. 

“Did I wake you?” he asked. 

“No, I smelled something good,” Antonio mumbled, glancing at João. He blushed deeply at the sight of him shirtless, his skin shining with sweat as his hair was ruffled and nearly out of its ribbon.

“You have, er, been working hard,” he choked out. João chuckled and ran a hand through his hair to pull it back and retie it. 

“Ah, I went back into town and got the blackboards and chalk, and then cleaned the stables,” he explained. “It’s still hot out, I think I may go wash up in the river before we eat.”

“Do you want me to just get water for you?” Antonio offered.

“No, I only get water if I want to get it heated up. When it’s hot out like today, the river is the right temperature,” João said, waving him off. “Feel free to serve yourself, the stew should almost be done.”

“Stew? Is that what I smell?” Antonio asked.

“Yes, I thought it would be easy for you. You can hold a spoon with your left hand, can’t you?” João asked. 

“Possibly,” Antonio mused. “I will try anyways, if nothing else than to avoid you embarrassing me again.”

João snickered and shook his head. “If you say so,” he said. “I will be back quickly, so if you cannot, then wait for me.”

Antonio sighed when João went outside, his cheeks flushed from embarrassment. He shuffled into the kitchen, taking a deep breath in and sighing happily at the smell. He grabbed a bowl and set it on the counter, carefully spooning some of the stew into the bowl. He grabbed a spoon and carefully carried it to the table, sitting down and making the sign of the cross carefully with his bound arm. He said grace and started to eat slowly using his uninjured hand. It was difficult, but he still wanted to eat and avoid the embarrassment of João mocking him for needing help. 

He perked up when he heard the front door open a few minutes later, and he nearly choked on his stew when João came walking in, his hair soaked and water still dripping down his bare chest. 

“Ah I needed that,” João sighed happily as he grabbed his own bowl to fill up with stew. “Nothing like a swim in the river to refresh and get ready for a job.”

“You’re going out for another job?” Antonio asked. “I thought you promised not to do any more jobs.”

“No, we compromised and I promised to tone down how dangerous these jobs are,” João reminded him, poking Antonio’s nose on his way to sit down at the table. “Did you already say grace?”

“I did for myself,” Antonio said, frowning. “Sorry, I should have waited.”

“You’re forgiven,” João teased, making the sign of the cross over himself. He whispered grace under his breath before he started to eat as well. 

“This is delicious, thank you for making dinner,” Antonio said, smiling gently at João. João smiled weakly back at him and glanced down at his bowl. 

“Ah, I’ve made better,” he said. “It should have sat longer, I suppose. Or perhaps more broth from the chicken.”

“It is good enough to me,” Antonio said, smiling brightly at João over the bouquet of flowers between them. “So..you can’t tell me your job right?”

“I couldn’t care less about this one,” João sighed, stirring his spoon around in his stew a few times. “It’s a stupid, petty run for a guy I know named Cruz. The dumbass gambles all of his money away all the time. When he doesn’t gamble it away, he spends it on cheap beer.”

“Why are you helping this guy out?” Antonio asked incredulously. João hesitated. He couldn’t tell Antonio about the guitar, that would ruin the surprise. 

“Ah, I just owed the guy a favor,” he lied. “I had forgotten about it, I’m just glad he didn’t ask for money.”

Antonio frowned, pausing in his eating. He had a feeling João was lying, but why would he lie to him? Didn’t João trust him? Antonio mentally smacked himself. Of course he didn’t trust him yet, he almost turned him in! Not to mention they haven’t known each other for long. The king of thieves would not give away his reasoning so easily. 

“I see,” Antonio sighed. “I hope you do not go around giving favors often.” 

João smiled and reached over the flowers to gently tilt Antonio’s chin up. “Hey, cheer up. It’s just some money from a merchant, nothing dangerous,” he assured him. Antonio managed a small smile.

“Don’t stay out too long?” he asked. João chuckled and sat back in his chair to go back to eating. 

“I won’t,” he promised. “I will need to get into my room before you go to sleep, if that is alright.”

“O-Of course that’s okay!” Antonio stammered. “It’s your room, I shouldn’t even be sleeping in it anyways. I am feeling alright now.”

“Yes, but I told you to take it for the day and night. It will probably be good for your back too, just in case,” João said with a pout. Antonio couldn't help but smile gently. 

“Thank you for letting me borrow your room,” he said, going back to eating as well. “You have been the most generous and kind man I've ever met.”

“Hey! I'm not kind or generous!” João defended, a light blush on his cheeks. “I'm the best thief there is! I steal from people all the time!”

“You're helping me recover faster when any normal thief would kill his stablehand and hire a new one,” Antonio reasoned. “And you are helping this guy out and getting his money for him.”

“I’m only helping him out because I owed him a favor!” João insisted. He sank back a little and glanced away. “And you, well…Anyone that thinks stablehands are easily replaced is stupid. You know Catalina and El Domingo better than I ever will, and you've already proven your loyalty. That's a lot more than I could find in most stablehands.” 

Antonio blushed and smiled more at him. “A thief with a heart of gold,” he murmured. 

“Ah, what do you know?” João grumbled. 

They both went back to eating, Antonio occasionally glancing up at João with a warm smile on his face. He knew he made the right decision in not turning him in. He truly found the best life for himself by helping out João. 

Once they were both finished, Antonio took both of their bowls and spoons and set them in the basin. “I will get the dishes,” he said when João opened his mouth to protest. “You have something much more important to do.”

João frowned but knew he couldn't argue with Antonio, even if Antonio was injured. He sighed and got to his feet. “If you need any help, call for me,” he muttered. “I will go change.” With that, he went to his room to get ready for his job. He wondered briefly if he should pack light. It wasn't going to be a big deal after all, just a merchant's shop for money and a guitar. He shook his head and packed up everything he always used. No matter how easy he thought the job was, he had to be prepared for anything. Even crazy guard captains. João shuddered at the memory and strapped an extra dagger to his waist. 

Once he was finished, he fastened his cloak but hesitated when he looked at the bed, which was far from being ready for Antonio to sleep in it. Maybe he should get new sheets. He left the room to grab a new set of sheets, nearly bumping into Antonio. 

“Ah! I-I’m sorry, I was waiting for you,” Antonio said. 

“Don't go in there yet. I'm getting new sheets for you,” João said. 

“I'll get them. Go do your job,” Antonio insisted, giving João a small nudge towards the door. João laughed softly and opened the door. 

“It's that small door right there,” he said, pointing to the linens closet. 

“Okay now go,” Antonio said, giving João one more nudge. João grinned and closed the door behind himself, going to the stable to get Ofelia ready for the job. 

Antonio sighed as he was left alone, and he looked at the linens closet. Well, he might as well change them now. He went and opened the door, feeling through all of the sheets. All of them were soft, high quality cotton. He sighed and grabbed a set, closing the door behind him with his foot and heading to the room with the sheets held in his good hand. He looked at the bed, then looked at the new sheets, realizing he made a mistake in rushing João out the door. How was he supposed to change the sheets with only one hand? He frowned and shook his head. It wasn't worth it, and the sheets on the bed already looked clean, albeit slightly rumpled. He didn't mind. He put the new sheets back into the closet, and glanced around. He wanted to wait up for João, to make sure he got back safely. If it was as easy of a job as he said, then surely he wouldn't be out for long. 

Antonio busied himself with sweeping the floors as best he could with one hand. It was slow going, but it helped keep him focused on not worrying about João. He went out into the stables and brushed Catalina’s coat, praising her for being such a good horse. He was about to move on to El Domingo when he heard hoofbeats approaching, and he immediately opened up the doors to see João approaching on Ofelia, the moon casting light on him in just the right way that made Antonio's heart skip. 

João pulled Ofelia to a stop, a deep frown on his face as he pulled back his hood.

“Antonio. I told you to go to bed, why are you still awake?” he asked, shifting slightly. The glint of moonlight caught something slung around his back, and Antonio stepped closer to try to see, but João tugged sharply on the reins to pull Ofelia back. Antonio stopped and looked at him in surprise. 

“Go. Inside. Now,” João hissed. “Wait for me on the couch.”

Antonio frowned. He wasn't used to João scolding him. He shuffled inside, plopping down on the couch after lighting a couple of candles to get some light in the room. 

Meanwhile, João was cursing under his breath. So much for it being a surprise! He even had come up with a way to present it to Antonio the next morning. He huffed and carefully climbed off of Ofelia to get her settled in for the night. He pat her neck and brushed the sweat off of her before he went inside, giving an annoyed look to Antonio. 

“Well, I  _ was _ hoping to keep this a surprise,” he grumbled, pulling the guitar off of his back and holding it out to Antonio. Antonio's eyes widened in amazement. The deep red wood of the guitar gleamed in the dim light, and the border and designs! He reached out with a shaking hand to take the guitar and inspect it closer. He ran his fingers over the polished surface, holding his breath.

“You…You stole this, didn't you?” he asked. 

“It was my payment for going on this job,” João explained, sitting down next to Antonio. “Do you like it?”

“I  _ love _ it,” Antonio whispered. “It's gorgeous.” He set it aside so he could turn and hug João tightly with his good arm. João tensed up slightly in surprise before sighing and wrapping his arms around Antonio to return the hug. He closed his eyes and relaxed, enjoying the feeling of the hug. Antonio was warm, and soft. João felt a warmth spread through his chest at the feeling and he subtly tightened his hold and buried his face in Antonio's shoulder. 

Antonio flushed and smiled, rubbing up and down João's back to soothe him. He wasn't going to make João let go any time soon, not when he was so warm and so clearly needed the hug. He hummed softly in content and turned his head to gently nuzzle the side of João’s head. He couldn't imagine how lonely João had been, always living isolated in the woods. The only social life he had with other people was quick interactions with shopkeeps and with other thieves and lowlives, from what he noted. 

After what felt like forever, though it was still too soon for Antonio, João finally let go and smiled at him. Antonio blushed at the smile, overcome with the urge to kiss his lunar, so delicately placed below his eye. He instead reached up with his good hand to run his thumb over it. 

“I'm glad you like the guitar,” João murmured, giving a small chuckle at the touch. “Go to sleep now. If your arm is still not any better in the morning then we will take you to the doctor’s.”

Antonio looked at his bound arm with a small frown. He hoped it wasn't so serious. He wanted to heal soon so he could play for João once more with the new guitar. He got to his feet and grabbed the guitar. 

“Can you put this in my-- er, the guest room?” he asked, holding it out to João. João took it gingerly and nodded. 

“Relax. It's your room now,” he assured him with a wink. “I'll put it in there. Go to sleep.” With that, he turned and went into Antonio's room, closing and locking the door behind himself. 

Antonio sighed and smiled gently. He went into João's room, laying down on the soft bed. He wrapped himself up in the sheets, a low hum escaping him. João's scent still clung to the sheets, as earthy as before. 

What a generous thief. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all for now! Again, I'm really sorry for how long this took. Please leave a comment and/or a kudos if you enjoyed it!


	7. Friction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ʕಥᴥಥʔ Jeez it feels like I'm always apologizing for the delay on these updates. The entire culprit of this taking so long is the beginning of the chapter, the rest was finished in a day. 
> 
> WARNING: The chapter starts out NSFW (this is an explicit rated fic after all). So if you're somewhere that you aren't comfortable reading explicit content, you might want to come back later.

_Harsh panting in his ear, breathy moans and promises hissed out in a language he didn't understand, didn't try to understand, but he could make it out anyways._

_Desperate praises, promising him the world if he asked, if only he'd stay, stay and be happy with him._

_He was incredibly lonely._

_A sweat-slicked body sliding against his own, lean muscle pressing down on him but still feeling so soft as--_

Antonio awoke with a sharp gasp, his sleep-hazed mind confused on where the warmth of João's body pressing against him went even though his scent was still surrounding him. He blinked a few times before registering the sheets tangled and twisted around him, and it took him another moment before he realized his arousal was straining against the front of his pants. Antonio propped himself up on his good arm, an embarrassed blush staining his cheeks as his mind raced to figure out what to do. Should he wait it out, or should he just get it over with quickly? He needed to get to his chores soon, but he couldn't just masturbate in João's bed, and going to church to repent would take too much time. He couldn't touch himself to thoughts of his only friend. He could wait it out.

Antonio flopped back down onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He could even try to go back to sleep, João surely would forgive him for a late start. He could claim he was tired from going to bed so late. João was so generous, and so handsome too. Antonio closed his eyes, a small sigh slipping past his lips. João’s scent seemed to wrap around him, suffocating him in all of the best ways. The twisted blankets reminded him of the lean muscled body pressing against him, holding onto him tightly as João begged for him to stay with him. Antonio bit his lip to hold back a whimper as the dream continued to flash across his mind.

_“Antonio…”_

Thinking of João moaning his name so sweetly made him stifle another whimper as his cock throbbed. He gave a weak twitch of his hips, finally unable to resist the temptation any longer. João’s scent around him was stifling and comforting at the same time as he reached down and tugged his pants down to wrap his fingers around his cock. He gave a deep, relieved moan and he bit his lip in a feeble attempt to stifle his voice as he started to stroke himself with a shaky hand.

The friction of his callused hand was unpleasant, not at all like he imagined João’s hand to feel. Antonio gritted his teeth as he tried to cling to the threads of the dream that were slowly starting to fade away, but the frustrating reality of his rough hand was too distracting. In a fit of desperation, Antonio sat up and threw open the drawer João’s nightstand. He pushed away the different sized knives, wires, and lockpicks, not even giving them a second thought. He finally came across a few small vials, each the size of his finger, filled with a yellowish liquid. Antonio tore the cork off, giving the vial a hesitant sniff and sighing in relief. It smelled like it was just regular olive oil, he could use that.

With shaking fingers, he poured the contents of the vial out onto his uninjured hand, and set the empty glass bottle and cork off to the side. He would refill it later before João even noticed. He sank back against the headboard with a soft, relieved moan as he curled his oiled fingers around his cock and started to stroke himself again, his hand gliding much more smoothly along his cock.

He slowly rolled his hips up with his hand’s smooth strokes, his eyes fluttering shut as he tried to pretend it was João’s hand that was touching him. His grip loosened until his fingers were feather-light brushes, purposefully teasing himself like he knew the mischievous thief would. He could almost see João, his eyes bright with that teasing glint they always held.

“João please,” he whispered, tossing his head back. In his mind, João would lay back and let Antonio spread his legs. Antonio fell forward on the sheets, his forehead resting on the bed as his hand sped up. João would hold him tight, would moan out his name just as beautifully as he did in his dream as Antonio pushed into him.

Antonio gasped and choked out a moan, his hand stilling as he bucked his hips against his fingers instead. His breath came out in harsh pants, and he bit the thick duvet in a feeble attempt to muffle himself. For him, João gave a needy whine as Antonio bit his shoulder.

_“Stay with me.”_

Antonio moaned into the blanket, his hips rocking desperately against his hand as the heat in his stomach coiled tighter. João would cry out for him, would cling to him and scream out in pleasure like he had heard so many times walking past a weak or cracked window in a brothel.

_“Antonio that’s-- oh, that’s so good, Antonio~!”_

Antonio’s hips stuttered as he came onto the sheets under him, a deep groan muffled by the blanket. He finally let go of the blanket with his teeth and fell to the side. He faintly decided he would wash the sheets in a minute, before breakfast. He wasn’t ready to leave the bed just yet, not when he imagined João holding him close, his dexterous fingers lovingly petting over his curls as they basked in the afterglow.

Some time later, Antonio opened his eyes to the sun shining harshly in his face, much brighter than he remembered it being. He cursed softly, he hadn’t even realized he fell asleep. He yawned and stretched his arm above his head before slowly making his way out of the soft bed that still smelled too much like João. He fixed his clothes and shuffled out of the bedroom, his face paling at hearing the gentle clinking of pots and pans in the kitchen. He put on a shaky smile and leaned against the threshold of the kitchen, where João was already working on breakfast.

“You slept in late,” João noted, not looking up from the stove where he was stirring something in the pan as another pan sizzled on a lower fire. Antonio blushed in embarrassment and rubbed the back of his neck.

“I, ah, had a..rough night?” he stammered, though it came out more as a question. João finally glanced up at him with a raised eyebrow, an amused smile on his face.

“I see,” he teased. “I had thought by the sound of your snoring, I could have been stomping around in my boots and you would not have woken up.”

Antonio silently cursed himself for trying such a weak excuse. It didn't seem like João was going to push it any further however, so he didn't bother trying to defend himself more and accidentally dig a deeper hole.

“I will, er, go take care of the horses,” he said, turning to leave.

“No need. When I saw, well, _heard_ you were still asleep, I went out and took care of them myself,” João said, making Antonio stop in his tracks.

“B-But that is my job,” he defended. “It is why I am here. If I can't work for you, then…”

“I assumed that since your arm is injured, it would be best to let you rest as much as you needed,” João continued, his amused smile turning into a deep frown. “How many times do I need to tell you? I am not going to kick you out onto the streets with nowhere to go, especially not when you are injured.”

“But you said--”

“I know, I know I said I will kill you if you don't keep up with your chores because you know too much about me,” João said, waving him off. “But that was before your loyalty was tested. I trust you will not turn me in now, so I have no reason to doubt you if you miss a day or two of chores.” His expression softened as he looked back at him again. “Especially not when you are injured,” he pointed out.

Antonio flushed and looked down at his arm, still wrapped in the hastily made bandages. “I see,” he muttered.

“Now, set the table and sit down. Breakfast is almost ready,” João instructed.

Antonio hung his head and went about setting the table with their plates, cups, and silverware, taking his time with only one arm to avoid dropping anything. He finished just as João brought over the pan he had been stirring, scooping out even portions of roasted vegetables onto their plates. He went back to the stove to get the other pan, where cooked eggs were staying warm. He scooped two eggs each onto their plates, and set the pans in the basin of water to soak while they ate. He then grabbed the bottle of milk from the cooler and filled up each of their cups as a blush lingered on Antonio's face from embarrassment at having to be served like a child.

“I could have gotten us drinks,” he defended as João stuck the bottle back in the cold cupboard.

“Yes, but I was already up,” João pointed out. He sat down across from Antonio and gave his leg a small nudge under the table. “How is your arm doing?” he asked, and Antonio could have sworn there was genuine worry in his eyes, beyond the expected worry for whether or not Antonio would be able to keep up with his chores.

“It is still not any better,” Antonio admitted. João sighed heavily and shook his head.

“I want you to go to the doctor’s today,” he said. “Right after breakfast.”

“Ah, well, I have to go into town for something anyways,” he mused. He felt bad, knowing he would have to cancel the order for his own guitar, but he got a guitar even better than the one he had ordered from the old guitar maker. He would tip extra for João's guitar to try to make up for it.

“Well, whatever you have to do, it can wait until after you visit the doctor,” João said, giving him a stern glare. “This is an order as your boss. Get your arm checked first, then do whatever else you need to do in town. Be back before four.”

Antonio tensed up, feeling a chill run through him at the stern words. Every time he almost forgot who João was, every time he forgot that he was in the presence of a famous, cunning thief, João reminded him just before he forgot completely.

“I will be as quick as I can,” he promised. They said grace and started eating, with Antonio trying his best to keep his roasted vegetables from falling off of his fork. João glanced up at him occasionally to make sure he was not struggling too much, but it seemed like he was starting to slowly adjust after a few days of having to use only his left hand.

When they finished up, João gathered their dishes and stood up to take them over to the basin of water.

“You could at least let me wash the dishes,” Antonio protested with a frown.

“No, because you need to go to the doctor’s,” João teased over his shoulder. “Go on. I told you, be back before four. The sooner you leave the more likely it is that you come back in time.”

Antonio sighed in exasperation and reluctantly got to his feet. “Very well,” he grumbled. He went into his own room, fumbling with his clothes to change into a new outfit, since he had slept in the outfit he was wearing. He stepped back out when he finally managed to wrestle a shirt and pants on with only one arm and pocket some of his money.

By the time he came back out, João was already done with cleaning up and was sweeping the kitchen. He paused when he heard the floorboards creak under Antonio’s feet and looked up with a warm smile.

“Be safe,” he said, walking over to give Antonio's good shoulder a small pat. Antonio laughed softly and gave him a nudge in return.

“I should say the same to you. Do not try to break into any royal guard stables while I am gone,” he joked.

“Well, I suppose there goes my afternoon plans,” João said, heaving a great, dramatic sigh. He grabbed a pouch off of the couch and handed it to Antonio, who took it with a surprised look at how heavy it was.

“Money, for the doctor,” João explained. “Since I do hold some blame for you getting hurt.”

“It was not your fault though. It was my own stupidity,” Antonio defended, trying to hand the pouch back to him, but João pushed it back towards him.

“Take it. I want you to receive the best care you can so you can get back to your chores quickly,” he reasoned. Antonio frowned. There was that slight hint of worry in his voice and expression again. Maybe he was imagining it. If João really was worried about him, he would say something wouldn't he? Antonio sighed and shook his head.

“You are too much trouble sometimes se-- João,” he said. “Have a good day.”

“You as well,” João said over his shoulder to him. “Remember, be back by four.”

“Of course,” Antonio promised. He left and went to the stables, saddling up Catalina and inspecting her to make sure she would be good for the trip. He gave her neck an affectionate pat before climbing up on her, taking the reins in his good hand. He led her away from the house with minimal troubles and rode her to the small town nearby.

If he did not need to check on the guitar he ordered for João, he would have gone to the capital, but realized it was for the best that he went to the closer small town for the sake of his strict curfew. João may have been a generous thief thus far, but Antonio did not want to see what happened if he failed to come back before the time he was ordered.

Once he made it to the town and stabled Catalina, he had to do some asking around and wandering until he finally found a physician set in a fairly clean and homely looking building. It at least was not run down with several holes in it like the first one he was directed to, and at this point he was too tired from walking around so much to bother trying to find anyone else. He walked through the polished wooden door, seeing that the inside of the building was just as clean and put together as the outside. He closed the door behind himself and turned back towards the room, nearly jumping in surprise at a short, hunched over man with wispy strands of white hair on his head and a similarly wispy mustache.

“Hello, hello, what ails you? Are you a traveler passing through? I do not recognize you,” the old man said with a peppy, tinny voice. He darted around Antonio to inspect him, and it did not take him long before he noticed the sloppy binding around his right arm before Antonio even had a chance to say anything.

“Ah, I see, I see,” he said, nodding in understanding. “Come, come. I will take a closer look.”

He pulled Antonio into the back room, and Antonio sat down on the cushioned chair in the center of the room as the old man got several tools out in possible preparation.

“You see, I fell off my horse, and--”

“Ah-ha! Horses, they'll do that to ya. Y’gotta be more careful, boy,” the man lectured, wagging his finger at him. Antonio laughed nervously and glanced away.

“Yes, I, well, wasn't thinking very clearly at the time,” he reasoned. “I do not think it is broken, but it is swollen and still painful.”

“Well, let's get that shoddy, sad excuse of a bandage off of it first and I'll have a look,” the doctor said, shuffling over to untie and unwind the sewn together pieces of the sheet off of Antonio’s arm. Antonio watched him in surprise. Despite how clearly old he was, he worked quick and the makeshift bandage was off in a flash without any pain or tugging on his injured arm. Antonio had not realized until the sewn together strips of sheet were off how sweaty and hot his injured arm was.

The doctor gingerly grabbed his arm, holding it up and turning it this way and that. “How much does it hurt with just this?” he asked.

“Not too much,” Antonio replied with a light wince. The doctor gave an understanding nod and ran his fingers over his arm, lightly pressing in certain spots and causing Antonio to wince more.

“Well, there is nothing out of place that I can feel,” he decided, “and you are not screaming in pain. So you have either an incredible pain tolerance and it is fractured, or it is simply sprained.”

“It must be fractured then. It has been a couple days since I fell off of my horse,” Antonio decided with a small frown. That is not good, a fractured arm would inhibit him from working for who knows how long.

“Not necessarily!” the doctor corrected, giving Antonio a small poke in the shoulder. “That bandage was not good. No, not good at all. It was a piece of sheet,” he said, guffawing at his own joke. He chuckled and wiped away a tear as Antonio stared at him in confusion. The doctor cleared his throat and composed himself again.

“Under normal circumstances it would have worked, but it was much too tight. Yes, much too tight indeed,” he explained. “Not too tight to cut off blood, but definitely too tight to let your arm heal and breathe.”

The doctor shuffled over to his cabinet, yanking out one of the drawers. A few rolls of bandages bounced out and rolled out along the ground. He grunted and waved them off with one hand as he rummaged through the cabinet with his other hand. He finally produced a roll of thinner bandages and a dark glass bottle.

“Here we are!” he said, shuffling back over to Antonio without any care for the discarded bandages. He set the bottle aside and set about wrapping up Antonio's injured arm again, the lighter bandages feeling much better on his arm already. The doctor fastened the bandages in place and gave his arm a light pat.

“There you go. Come back in a week if it is not any better by then,” he said, and pushed the dark glass bottle into Antonio's hand. “Here, take this for the pain if it is unbearable,” he said.

Antonio looked at the bottle curiously, reading the label. “Opium?” he asked. “I think that is a little extreme. My arm doesn't hurt that badly.”

“You do not need much, only a couple drops in a glass of wine to mask the taste and the pain will be gone for the rest of the day,” the doctor assured him. Antonio relaxed a bit at hearing that. Well, at least he did not need to take much. He pocketed the bottle and pulled out João's coin pouch.

“How much do I owe you?” he asked. The doctor raised his thick eyebrows in surprise at seeing the pouch.

“Where did you get that?” he asked, pointing a thin, bony finger at it.

“This?” Antonio asked, looking in confusion at the pouch. “It belongs to my boss. He insisted I visit a doctor for my arm, so that I can return to tending his horses as quickly as possible.”

“I see, I see,” the doctor said, pulling at his wiry mustache in thought. “How is Medeiros doing nowadays? It has been quite some time since he was last in here, I thought he might have been caught,” he mused, lowering his voice.

Antonio tensed up and looked at him with wide eyes, feeling like his heart was in his throat. “How did you--”

“I have an excellent memory my boy, and I have never seen anyone else with a purse like that,” the doctor explained. “Give him my regards for me, will you? And tell him to remember to eat plenty of meat. That boy always forgets to eat, he's too busy jumping around on rooftops I guess.”

Antonio sighed and looked down at the coin purse as the old man continued to ramble on about João needing to eat. The embroidered design of a swan in gold thread against the dark green velvet did look unique and handmade, it was no surprise that the doctor recognized it.

“So how much do I owe you then?” he asked, looking back at the doctor.

“And he is always so reckless, it's amazing he-- eh?” the old man paused in his rambling to look at Antonio surprised. “Oh, payment. Yes, of course, just a gold piece for the opium will do,” he assured him. Antonio handed over the gold coin and pocketed the purse again.

“Thank you for your business, run along now. Medeiros never does like to wait,” the doctor said, shooing Antonio out of the backroom and out the front door as he greeted someone else that was waiting. Antonio frowned and looked at the lighter bandages on his arm. He had to admit, it did feel much better already. He sighed and headed for the guitar maker’s shop.

The guitar maker was disappointed that Antonio had to cancel the order of his own guitar, but proudly presented him with João's guitar. He explained that because it was such an amazing order, he had put it at the top of his priority and worked late into the night to finish the first one.

“I am glad that I worked on this one first,” he joked. Antonio looked on in amazement as he ran his fingers over the body. It was made of a deep, rich brown wood, with a golden horse running along the bottom. He plucked one of the steel strings, pleased at the clear noise that came from it. It was perfectly in tune.

“Beautiful, thank you,” he said, handing over the other half of the payment to him.

“You are very welcome,” the guitar maker said with a bright smile. “If you ever change your mind and want to have that second one made after all, please let me know. I took quite a hit last night, someone broke into my friend’s shop and stole one of my best guitars! Right after he said someone had shown interest in it,” he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“What?” Antonio asked. No, it couldn't be...

“It was the most beautiful guitar too! A high quality mahogany imported directly from across the ocean, with a mother of pearl design of a swan under a tree,” the guitar maker lamented. “I worked for months on that, getting the design just right. Then some petty thief saw it and decided he wanted it for a pretty penny! I tell you what, there is simply no respect for someone’s property nowadays!”

Antonio felt his blood run cold. João said it was his payment for his job. He gritted his teeth. He should've known better than to trust the word of a thief.

“I will keep an eye out for it,” he assured him. “How much did it cost?”

“Oh, it was my most expensive guitar! It was priced at 70 gold coins,” the shopkeeper explained. “Because of the pearl and imported mahogany, you know. Very expensive.”

“I am very sorry to hear that. If I find it, I will tell you,” Antonio said, a determined fire running through him. João had some explaining to do.

“Thank you, but I fear it may be a lost cause,” the guitar maker sighed. “Regardless, I hope you have a pleasant day.”

“You as well,” Antonio muttered, turning and leaving the shop again with the guitar slung over his shoulder. He glanced up at the sky, noting that the sun appeared to be just barely past midday. As if to confirm his thoughts, the clock rang out one time. He was going to get back in plenty of time before João's set curfew.

Antonio paused at that thought. Did he want to listen to João and make curfew? João lied to him, why should he listen to him now over something as small as a curfew? He was not a child, and it was not like João would kill him simply for being out an hour or two later than he was supposed to be. Not to mention Antonio was tired from all of the walking around to find the doctor’s. He decided then that he would get lunch somewhere and do some browsing of the shops before heading back. It would help lighten his mood before he had to go confront João.

He ended up wandering around the market and the town for another hour and a half before finally getting the appetite to decide on a small tavern to sit down and eat at. It was almost too relaxing to finally have a chance to sit down and rest. He took his time with figuring out what to order. When his meal arrived, he took his time with eating that as well, thinking over what he was going to say as he slowly worked his way through the meal.

How could he even approach João with such a question? He could not simply go up to him and accuse him of stealing the guitar. Maybe it was not his guitar after all that it was stolen, or maybe that Cruz guy had stolen it first and truly had given it to an unaware João as payment for his services.

Antonio pushed his worry away. No, it would not do him any good to worry about it so much. He would go back to João when he was ready and ask him straight away. No confrontation, no accusing, just asking him whether he had stolen the guitar or not. Antonio paused in his eating and frowned. Then what? What would he do if João fully admitted to stealing it? Or worse, if João tried to lie again and say that he didn’t steal it? How would Antonio know whether he was lying or not?

Antonio shook his head to try to get the thoughts out again. He really needed to stop worrying about it. He would worry himself out of asking João at all at this rate. He went back to eating his meal, chatting with the woman that was handling any customers that came in. There were not many, which was surprising to Antonio, but he did not question it. The woman was pleasant company, even though Antonio had to be extremely careful of what he said around her. He could not give away anything that hinted where he lived or who he worked for.

The woman was very curious and tried to ask quite a few times what it is he did for money, especially since it was unusual for someone that looked as plain as him to be out relaxing in the middle of the day instead of working, but Antonio managed to hold his tongue and dodge the questions. Eventually the woman got bored of the conversation and went back to sweeping the floor while Antonio finished up his now cold meal.

Once Antonio was finally done, he paid for his meal and left, making a note of the money he owed João now for the meal. He glanced up at the sky, frowning in thought. He still had plenty of time to get back to João’s house, perhaps he could spend some time wandering around the market and other shops now. He wondered if João would let him decorate his room a bit. The thought excited him. Vasquez never let him decorate the loft, always reminding him that his time there may not be forever and that Antonio was replaceable. Antonio frowned slightly, remembering João's own words.

_“Anyone that thinks stable hands are easily replaced is stupid.”_

Antonio sighed and kicked a small pebble as he strolled down the street. João was always so kind, how could he steal a guitar from a shopkeep for no reason? He really was always getting the wrong idea of João. He glanced around as he started to enter the main area of the market, trying to get his mind off of the guitar for now.

He browsed around the different stalls and stands, though it was difficult for anything to catch his eye when he had just ate such a large meal. Regardless, he stopped occasionally and chatted with people at the stands, enjoying the pleasant company and conversation that he got. He got glimpses into many different lives and processes, and even learned a few things about how this fruit was harvested or how that kind of sweet was made.

However, eventually a few of the shops started to pack up and close up to return home early before it got dark, or to feed the young children waiting at home. Antonio helped a few of the stall owners that he had chatted with, paying barely any mind to the clock tolling five times.

Antonio decided then that he still wasn't ready to face João. He expressed his worries to one of the shopkeepers, though he kept it vague and only said that he was worried about getting into a fight with a friend back at home.

“I am sure you are worrying over nothing, but maybe a few drinks will soothe your nerves,” the shopkeeper suggested. Antonio thought it over.

“That is not a bad idea,” he agreed. He soon found himself in another tavern, drinking down a few glasses of fortified wine. However, it wasn't long before the tavern got too crowded for him, and he paid his tab and left.

As he stepped outside, he caught sight of the sun and his wine-hazed mind realized it was much lower than when he last checked. Reluctantly, he decided that he could no longer put off his conversation with João.

Antonio got back to the stable and paid the stable hand before carefully climbing back onto Catalina's back. A flurry of emotion threatened to overtake him as he finally started to make the ride back to João's house, the few drinks not helping to calm his nerves at all. Disgust, anger, betrayal, worry, despair. Antonio felt sick. Why would João lie to him? The cool canopy of the forest didn't bring him relief like it had before. It now made his chest tighten with worry at what he was about to face.

Should he even question João on it? João was a thief. A generous thief who Antonio had thought had a heart of gold, but clearly that was not the case. A thief was still a thief, João could still kill him if Antonio didn't choose his words carefully. He found himself back to how he was feeling just a few days before. Should he have left after all? João was his friend, but if he was willing to lie to him about something like a guitar, then what else could he be lying about?

Before he could decide to turn around and try to run away, he found himself back in front of João's cottage. His heart dropped in panic as he saw a clothesline strung up between a few trees, João’s sheets that he had told himself he would clean first thing that morning gently blowing in the wind alongside some clothes, still damp. He prayed to God that João only washed them out of routine, he could not bear to face João if João knew what he did on his bed.

He swallowed nervously and let Catalina relax in the stables. He stalled for time by brushing her coat, mane, and tail out, cleaning her hooves, and even giving her an apple as a treat, and then giving the same treatment to El Domingo too.

Antonio hesitated as he approached Ofelia, who looked at him with wary eyes. It felt as if she knew of Antonio's distrust and worry, and she stepped back and snorted when Antonio took a step closer to her with the brush. Antonio stared into her dark eyes, remembering when João cooed at her and fawned over her with endless compliments and treats. He remembered thinking how a man who took care of his horse so well was surely not evil.

João wasn't evil, was he? Antonio thought it over some more. No, he would not go so far as to call João evil, though it did hurt that he lied about stealing the guitar. He was not evil, but he was not a good man like Antonio thought. The tender hug that they shared the previous night felt ruined now, he was thanking João for harming another.

Antonio sighed and reluctantly put the brush on the wall. Well, he could only avoid it for so long. He adjusted the guitar on his shoulder and moved to go inside, only to find the door locked again. He knocked hesitantly on the door, growing worried when he didn't hear anything from inside. He knocked harder on the door, flinching back when the door was suddenly yanked open and João held a dagger at him with a scowl on his face. João warily stepped back to let him in, but his expression only turned more angry unlike the relief that was on his face the other day.

“You are two and a half hours late. I told you to be back by four,” João growled as Antonio followed him inside. João closed and locked the door behind him, and Antonio noted that he had yet to set the dagger down.

“I, ah, got distracted,” he reasoned.

“Alcohol has that effect,” João muttered. Antonio couldn't help but flinch at the bitterness in his tone as they walked into the main room. Antonio almost didn't recognize it, everything had been scrubbed and dusted down, and the room was completely rearranged.

“You redecorated,” he noted, trying to make small talk to avoid the topic.

“I felt it was time for a change,” João said nonchalantly as he balanced the hilt of the dagger on his finger. He tossed it up to catch it, then before Antonio could follow João’s hand, the dagger was sticking out of the opposite wall. João looked at Antonio, his expression more relaxed now. “Why do you have that guitar?” he asked. “Was the one I gave you not any good?”

“I had ordered us a pair of guitars to be custom made when we were at the market yesterday. The maker made yours last night, so I picked it up,” Antonio explained. “I canceled the order for mine, because of the guitar you st-- got for me.”

João looked at him for several moments, and Antonio felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle. Did he catch his near slip up? Antonio quickly took the guitar off of his back and held it out to him.

“H-Here,” he said, fidgeting with his hand and shifting from side to side as João took the guitar and inspected it. João looked impressed as he ran his fingers over the gold design on the guitar, silently admiring it. He set it aside and sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Out with it,” he said flatly, and Antonio nearly jumped out of his skin.

“W-What?” he asked.

“You're avoiding something,” João noted. “What happened in town? Did you get pickpocketed and lose all of my money?”

“No!” Antonio quickly defended, taking the purse out of his pocket and handing it to João as proof.

“Then why are you so nervous?” João asked, tossing the coin purse onto the couch next to the guitar.

“I, um…heard some things. In town,” Antonio admitted softly.

“Oh? About me, right? The terrible Cygnus Thief?” João asked, slowly circling around Antonio. “How I will wait until children are asleep and steal all of their dolls and toys if they do not behave? Maybe how I will steal children away from a woman if she is not loyal to her husband?” he asked. “Or perhaps that I will steal a man's ability to have sons, or the last breath of the dying?”

“No, not about you specifically,” Antonio said, then paused. “You…You don't actually do any of that though, right?” he asked curiously.

“Of course I do not,” João scoffed. “What use do I have for children's toys, and why should I care whether a woman is faithful to her husband or not? I do not even know how I would steal the last two.” He snickered and shook his head, pausing in his pacing in front of Antonio.

“So then what could possibly be on your mind that you cannot look at me?” he asked, resting his hands lightly on Antonio's shoulders. Antonio swallowed nervously as he looked at João, not even realizing until then that he had been avoiding those beautiful pale green eyes. No, they were not simply green, there were flecks of gold and darker shades of green in there too. Antonio found himself at a loss for words as João continued to stare at him, his gaze soft as his eyes flickered over his face, as if searching for something in his tanned, rugged features while Antonio stayed silent.

“I was worried about you,” João admitted, taking a step closer and lessening the gap between them. Antonio felt his heart leap into his throat at how close they were. João's muscled chest just barely brushed up against his own.

“I realized it was stupid to give you so much money. You could have gotten hurt if someone knew how much you had,” João whispered, his breath tickling Antonio's skin. Antonio's eyes flickered down to João's lips as his heart hammered in his chest.

_“I will give you anything you want, the world if you ask, please stay with me.”_

Antonio knew it was ridiculous to trust the words of a dream, but that did not make it any less relieving when he closed the gap between them and pressed their lips together in a firm, desperate kiss. He felt João tense up, and he was about to pull away again, but João's fingers slid into his curls as João pressed back against him. Antonio's heart soared when he felt João pressing closer, when he heard the small hum João gave when he tilted his head to deepen the kiss further. It was his first kiss, though Antonio kissed before. Brief affairs with pretty Spanish ladies who left him disappointed more than anything. He simply assumed that he hadn’t found the right one, but late night stolen kisses were often bland and unexciting. His kiss with João however, was the exact opposite. It was savory, exciting, warm, electrifying, passionate, invigorating, everything he never experienced before. It was his first real kiss. And he was so glad he kissed him back. His body stood rigid, scared he would ruin the moment if he made the slightest movement anywhere besides the careful, hesitant movement of his lips against João's.

Antonio took in a sharp breath when João pulled away just barely, a slight smile on the thief’s Iips. One of his hands left Antonio's hair and grabbed his good arm, directing it to wrap around his back. Antonio blushed in embarrassment, but did not have the chance to apologize before João leaned in for a second kiss, his hand returning to grasping gently at Antonio's hair. Antonio instinctively tightened his arm around João's waist, the tension slowly releasing from his body. He splayed his other hand over João's lower back, resting it there lightly to avoid hurting his arm. He felt as if his heart was going to burst when João slid one hand out of his hair to cup his cheek instead as they exchanged kiss after kiss, the air between them shared in soft gasps in between.

If Antonio had not seen João bleed already, he would have thought he was kissing an angel. His lips felt divine, and the rush of warmth in his chest he got every time another kiss was exchanged was better than any drink or smoke. His grip on João’s waist tightened ever so slightly, as if he would float away if he let go from how full his head was with clouds. His legs felt simultaneously rooted to the spot and like they were going to collapse under him at any moment. All this time, he thought of it wrong and unnatural to harbor these intimate feelings for a man, for João, and so long kept them concealed for fear of being cruelly rejected and humiliated. If it truly was an offensive sin, God would have had him killed by now wouldn't He? He would have not let João cross his path.

All too soon for Antonio, João pulled away to press their foreheads together and smile at him. There was a certain warmth behind his eyes, a softness that Antonio couldn't describe but knew very well. He knew it because he could feel the same in his chest, and it made him want to lean in for more kisses.

“Is that what it was?” João murmured.

“Hm?” Antonio hummed. He was still dazed from the kiss, he wondered if it was the alcohol finally catching up to him that made his head feel so cloudy, or if João truly was that addicting.

João gave a soft chuckle at Antonio's response. “What you were so nervous about earlier,” he said. “If you wanted to kiss me that badly, you could have asked sooner.”

Antonio blinked a couple times as he slowly pushed away the daze. “No, well, yes, but I, er,” he stammered, and João gently pinched his lips shut.

“Think of what you're going to say first,” he teased, mischief sparkling in his eyes.

 _How can I, when you are so beautiful and close? How can I ruin the moment we just shared?_ Antonio wondered. He sighed when João let go of his lips and he looked at him with a small frown. He had to know.

“The guitar,” he muttered, making João raise an eyebrow curiously. “The one you gave me. Where did you get it?”

“I told you, it was my payment for the job I went on for Cruz,” João explained nonchalantly, twirling one of Antonio's curls around his finger.

“But Cruz didn't give you the guitar,” Antonio said, his mouth feeling dry as João paused and looked back at him.

“No, he didn't,” João admitted. “The merchant I stole the money from for Cruz, it was in his shop. I do not usually steal for personal reasons, but it was the only way I could convince myself to go on that petty run.”

“That guitar was worth seventy gold pieces,” Antonio grumbled.

“I have stolen much more valuable items,” João said.

Antonio felt his heart sink at hearing that. “João, the man that made the guitar. He is a good man, he did not deserve to have that guitar stolen,” he insisted. “He is the same one that made your guitar.”

João looked at Antonio again, a frown starting to tug at his lips. “What do you expect me to do about it?” he asked. “The guitar is already stolen. I cannot stroll in and say ‘I stole your guitar yesterday, sorry here is the payment for it’.”

“Then return it!” Antonio said, making João flinch back with a surprised look on his face.

“Antonio, I am not going to return something that I have rightfully stolen,” he said, giving him an annoyed look. “The guitar maker will move on and continue to make other guitars that will make him even more money.”

“You cannot be so selfish!” Antonio snapped, surprising even himself with his harsh tone as João recoiled. He took a deep breath and slowly hissed it out, raising his eyes to see João watching him with wide eyes, hurt and surprise swirling in that beautiful, sad, golden-flecked green.

 _No, please do not look at me like that. I cannot stand it._ Antonio fumbled for words. Why could he not have kept his mouth shut? He could have just gone back to kissing João and everything would have been fine. “João, I'm sorry, I--”

“Drop it Antonio,” João sighed, taking a couple of steps away from him and looking away. “Did you go to a doctor like I requested?”

Antonio felt his chest squeeze painfully tight at how cold he felt now that João wasn't pressing up against him. He scratched his cheek lightly, trying to get rid of the phantom feeling of João's hand resting there.

“Yes, I did,” he said, showing João his newly bandaged arm. “The doctor seemed to know you. He said it may be sprained and will heal on its own within a week.” He pulled out the bottle of opium from his pocket to show João. “He gave me this if I have any pain,” he said, giving him a shaky smile to try to lighten the mood. However, João's mouth twisted into a grimace.

“He should have known better than to give you that shit if he knew you were working for me,” João scoffed. “Pour it out immediately.”

“But it means I can start my chores again tomorrow!” Antonio defended. “I do not need much, he said only a couple of drops in a glass of wine and I will not feel any pain for the rest of the day.”

“I have seen ‘a couple of drops’ ruin _lives_ , Antonio,” João hissed, his glare turning acidic and cold. “Pour. It. Out.”

“Only until my arm heals on its own,” Antonio reasoned. “I will pour out whatever I don't--”

In a flash, João slapped the bottle out of Antonio's hand. The bottle shattered on the floor, sending shards of dark glass flying and spilling the rust-colored liquid inside.

“So long as you work for me, you are to never touch that disgusting stuff,” João snapped, his glare never losing its intensity. “If your arm hurts that badly, then do not work until it is better. Understand?”

Antonio stared at the dark puddle on the ground and then looked back at João. He wondered briefly if it was too late to go back to kissing. “But I had used a whole gold piece of your money for that,” he defended weakly.

João's gaze softened and he brought a hand up to cup Antonio's cheek. “Antonio, I have piles of gold down in the cellar, you've seen it. A single gold piece is nothing to me. Do not worry about something so small,” he assured him.

“Then why won't you give the shopkeeper the seventy gold pieces for the guitar?” Antonio asked, making João’s eyes widen in surprise before they narrowed again.

“Antonio, I said to drop that,” João said, pulling his hand away.

“No, I won't. Not until you decide to either return the guitar, or pay the shopkeeper back for it,” Antonio said stubbornly, standing a little straighter. He could see João clenching his jaw.

“Antonio, just because you are my friend and I have been kind to you so far does not give you the right to tell me what to do,” he hissed. “That guitar was a gift for you.”

“Well I do not want it now that I know it was stolen from an innocent man. I will return the guitar to him myself if you won't,” Antonio said stubbornly. João hissed out an annoyed sigh through gritted teeth and pushed past Antonio to head for the door.

“Where are you going?” Antonio asked.

“Out,” João snapped as he snatched his cloak off of a hook and fastened it on.

“Please do not tell me you are going on another job,” Antonio said weakly.

“What, are you going to suggest I buy what my client wants instead?” João huffed, tugging his boots on. “My business is my own.”

“João, wait--” Antonio was cut off by the front door slamming shut. He tears pooled in his eyes as he sank down onto the couch, the sound of Ofelia’s hoofbeats outside fading away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I've said this before and it's turned out to be a lie, but there will be more sooner rather than later!! I'm starting to get hit by a hardcore writing bug again, so hopefully we'll be able to actually get the main plot FINALLY kicked off at the very least! 
> 
> Please leave a comment if you liked it!! And feel free to talk to us on tumblr @merciful-mercenary or @sinunamor ♥


	8. Pride and Patrol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you it'd be sooner!!! Though it was actually finished 4 days after the previous chapter, it was queued to post a week after the last chapter so that there was time to form a buffer. I think weekly updates on Sunday will be good -w-

João rode Ofelia down the dirt path, out of the forest. He had a vague memory of where he needed to go, he had seen the house before, but he still cursed his recklessness for leaving without at least grabbing one of his maps first. He couldn’t even remember what it is he needed to steal. Maybe this was a mistake after all. He wondered if it would be wrong to turn around and go back to Antonio, to apologize for lashing out. No, he wouldn't apologize for lashing out about the opium. That was for Antonio's own good. But the guitar…

Would it really be so bad if he paid the seventy gold pieces to the shopkeeper? Antonio was right, seventy pieces was nothing to the amount of money he had. He was able to give Antonio bags of gold and still had plenty to spare. João chuckled at that thought. Ten years ago a few gold pieces meant life or death, eating or not eating. Even five years ago, when he was starting to get comfortable, seventy gold pieces would have had him leaping for joy. Perhaps it was the same for the shopkeeper. Merchants always seemed to be comfortable, and he was sure that the guitar maker would not starve if he did not pay the seventy gold pieces, but it most likely would make him happy. It would make Antonio happy too.

João remembered the look on Antonio's face when he had first presented him with the guitar. He looked overjoyed at such a beautiful, well made guitar. He remembered the feel of hugging him so close, his heart singing in joy at something he didn't even know he had been missing his entire life. He wanted so desperately to take it further, to kiss him there, but fear of rejection stopped him. He smiled bitterly as he wondered if Antonio was worried over the same thing.

His face fell as he realized Antonio had thought he obtained the guitar in a legitimate manner. That joy only came because he thought that João didn't steal it. Was he really better off ending his streak of stealing completely?

João sighed and shook his head. He would figure out what to do later, he needed his full focus for being in the capital, especially since the sun wasn't set yet. Any guards on patrol that he passed would recognize him immediately. He tugged his hood over his head, shielding his face partially from the sun and from quick glances of anyone passing by.

As he rode into the capital, he slowed Ofelia to a slower canter to allow her to rest, just in case he needed to make a quick escape. He glanced around nervously, his eyes darting around to keep watch for any possible guards. He tried his best to focus, to try to find the building, but the fight with Antonio kept circling in his head. Maybe he could steal the money from some noble, then it wouldn't be any dent out of his pocket but the guitar would still be paid for.

_“You cannot be so selfish!”_

João gritted his teeth as Antonio's words echoed in his mind. He was a thief! How was he supposed to not be selfish? His heart pounded against his chest as he kept looking around. He was surprised and thankful for the lack of guards around, but that did not make him relax. If anything, it only heightened his worries and strung out his nerves further. It wasn't until he was nearly past the building that he realized he had reached his mark.

João glanced around, cursing softly when he saw no good spot to tie Ofelia up for a few minutes to avoid her getting stolen. No matter, it was best if he tied her up in the next street over anyways. He led her onto the next street, only to find that it was similarly crowded with buildings, with no gates or bars to tie Ofelia to. The street over on the other side was the same. João ended up giving up, and he put Ofelia up in a stable nearby. He needed a walk to clear his mind anyways, he would just have to get a close look at the house to make up for it.

João walked back to the target, taking his time with hiding in the thin shadows of the house and under the carefully trimmed hedges. It was clear the person living in the house was very comfortable, from what he could see from peeking inside the windows from afar. He waited for several moments, looking for any sign of someone being inside. When he assumed the coast was clear, he slipped out from under the hedge, doing one last check to make sure nobody was around, and took a closer look inside.

His eyes immediately were met with the deep, brown eyes of a large dog. João ducked down away from the window as the dog barked endlessly, and he felt the color drain from his face as a woman shouted inside for the dog to be quiet. He slipped away and ran to hide in a small alley between two other buildings, his chest heaving as he leaned against the wall.

This wouldn't do, he couldn't focus at all.

João pushed his hand through his hair, slowly sinking down until he sat on the dirty cobblestones of the road. He sighed heavily in disappointment, keeping one leg folded against his chest as he stretched the other in front of himself. Why was he so affected by this? It was not like it was a serious fight. He had managed to outrun death countless times without being affected, at some points he toyed with it just because he could. So why did a small fight with his stable hand make his chest feel tight? Why did his eyes water when he remembered the hurt and betrayal written clear on Antonio's face when he accused him of stealing the guitar, right after he had kissed and held him so tenderly? Why did he pretend, for just a brief moment, that they were lovers for whom kissing was so natural?

João rested his forehead against his knee and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hold back his tears. He couldn't cry over something so trivial, he was the Cygnus Thief! He outsmarted the guards daily, managed to stab the captain himself in the leg and get away unscathed with the decoy necklace! He couldn't cry over his stable hand being mad at him just for doing what he did best.

_“Is that all I am to you? Your stable hand— no, your stable boy?”_

João lightly tapped his head back against the building he sat against, the heels of his palms pressed against his eyes to try to stop them from watering. No, Antonio was his friend. More than his friend possibly, and he ruined it. He wished desperately that he could go back to holding Antonio tight, exchanging kiss after kiss with him. Even now, the thought of kissing Antonio sent a rush through him. Antonio was clearly inexperienced, but that only made João’s heart melt more. He remembered with a shaky smile the fluster on Antonio's face when he guided his arm around his waist, the desperation in how quickly he clung to him and pulled him in for more. The love that João was not sure if he was imagining or not in how softly Antonio's lips pressed against his.

Friends were nearly impossible when he was who he was, especially when he had so much money saved up and so much on his head. A lover had been out of the question for his entire life until now. Antonio could sell him out, take the money he had in the cellar for himself and the money that he got from the bounty, but he was too loyal to him. Antonio was as much João's friend as João was Antonio's. Antonio would never sell him out, that much was obvious. So why was João so hung up on only seventy gold pieces for a guitar to show Antonio the same loyalty and appreciation?

Idiot, he silently scolded himself, his hands landing heavy in his lap as he stared up at the building across the alley. He couldn't get the feel of Antonio's lips on his off of his mind, Antonio's strong arm around his waist. He closed his eyes lightly and leaned against the wall behind him, one of his arms resting on his stomach. It was as close as he could feel to being against Antonio's broad chest, his arms holding him from behind. But it wasn't the same as how it would actually feel, and now he might never get to actually feel it. All because he couldn't swallow his pride.

João bit his lip as he felt his chest tighten painfully and more tears pool in his eyes. What if Antonio was already gone? What if he decided to leave for good after João's outburst? João had nobody to blame but himself and his own pride. A couple of tears dripped down his cheeks, and João quickly wiped them away. No, he was the Cygnus Thief, he couldn't…

A choked sob escaped him, and he clapped a gloved hand over his mouth to muffle himself. He was thankful nobody was nearby as he tried to regain composure. He couldn't break down here, he needed to get back home and talk it out with Antonio if he was still there. What to do with the guitar, what to do about his arm…whether or not they were even friends anymore. He took his hand away from his mouth, trying desperately to take deep breaths to calm down. Being seen crying in an alley over heartbreak was the last thing he needed right now.

Just as he was starting to breathe normally again, his heart stopped at hearing hoofbeats on the road. He slid over, trying his best to press himself against the wall and blend into the meager shadows that the building offered. His heart raced faster as he saw the armored horse of the guard start to pass by.

“Wasting resources they say…shouldn't be on patrol..I'm the captain dammit, they have no right,” the guard muttered angrily. João tensed up when he heard his muttering, and slowly turned his head. Sure enough, there was the captain himself, his glare directed straight ahead down the road. João slowly got to his feet, backing away to try to escape, but the attention caught the eye of the captain who frowned and stopped.

“Oye, lowlife. Go find somewhere else to—” the captain stopped as recognition flashed across his face. His expression twisted into a hateful glare and João backed up faster as the captain turned his horse to follow him into the alley. João knew that there was no way he could outrun a horse, and this was only made more clear by the distance between them being cleared by a few steps from the captain’s proud horse.

“Stealing in broad daylight now?” the captain asked, drawing his sword. “You’re getting too cheeky. Too bad that will be your death.”

João's mind raced to try to figure out what to do. He couldn't run. Could he knock the captain off of his horse and take the horse for himself? No, the captain would surely drive the sword through him before he had the chance. He didn't even have any weapons on him to try to fight the captain off. He continued to back away, though the captain looked unamused and held the sword under his chin.

“Stop moving, thief,” he commanded. “What did you steal this time?”

João cleared his throat to try to get rid of the lump that was still in it from crying. “I didn't steal anything,” he said, a small smirk tugging at his lips. “I would let you check, but I think you would enjoy it too much.”

The captain narrowed his eyes and moved his horse closer, the tip of the sword pressing lightly against João's throat. “I should kill you on the spot for that comment,” he growled, tipping João's chin up with his sword. The hood fell away from João's face, and the captain drew back, clearly surprised at the sight of João's red stained eyes and the dried tear streaks on his cheeks. A wicked smirk slowly curled across his face.

“Who knew a thief could cry?” he asked, pressing the sword to his throat again. João faintly noticed that it was lighter than before. “Are you that scared to die, Medeiros?”

“Don't flatter yourself, I was not crying out of fear,” João scoffed, glancing away.

“Oh? Then what could possibly trouble a petty thief?” the captain asked. “Has the guilt of your deeds finally caught up to you?”

João hesitated, and that hesitation was clearly all the captain needed as an answer. He let out a hearty laugh. “How amusing. Tell me Medeiros, how long have you been a thief?” he asked.

“My entire life,” João said, rolling his eyes.

“Your entire life?” the captain repeated, another laugh escaping him. “I have never heard of a baby stealing right out of the womb. No wonder you are so slippery.”

João grimaced at the poor attempt of a joke. “Fine, I think it has been since I was five,” he retorted. “What does it matter to you?”

“Nothing. I am simply bored,” the captain mused with a shrug. “I should not be on patrol, but it is because of you that I am. The king is concerned with the amount of money and time I am spending on catching one petty thief. He thinks it is because I have too much time. If I am busy on patrol in my down time, then I cannot chase a thief.” He grinned and tilted João's chin up again with the sword. “That thief is you,” he said.

“I’m flattered,” João said flatly, rolling his eyes. He wrinkled his nose and sniffled, his nose still stuffed from the crying. The captain frowned and drew away, sheathing his sword.

“So if you have been stealing since you were five, and you are now, what, twenty?” he asked.

“I’m 23. I think,” João said with a grimace.

“That is quite a long time to be stealing,” the captain mused. “I have only known about you for seven years.”

“That is quite a long time to be obsessing over one thief,” João said casually, his nerves calming slightly now that he didn't have a sword aimed at his throat.

The captain barked out a laugh. “No, I have not been actively hunting you for those seven years. I simply knew about you,” he explained. “It wasn't until I nearly caught you three years ago that I started to devote all of my time to trying to catch you.”

“How romantic,” João said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

“I am glad you see it so,” the captain purred, leaning forward on his horse. “You know, if you wish, my patrol is almost over. If you wait here for me—”

“Absolutely not,” João cut in, not bothering to hide his disgusted grimace.

The captain recoiled, anger flashing in his eyes. João tensed up and took another step back. In a flash, the captain brandished his sword at him again.

“I told you to not move!” the captain snapped, glaring at him. “Would you quit being so unreasonable and just calm down?!”

João narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. “’Unreasonable’?!” he repeated. “How do you expect me to be calm with a sword at my throat when a few nights ago you were going to f—”

“Quiet!” the captain snapped, pressing the sword just barely more against João's throat. “Do you think I enjoyed being stabbed?! I am willing to let it pass, but if you do not stop being such a brat then my mercy will not hold.”

João did not lighten up his glare, but held his tongue. The glare on the captain’s face softened into a satisfied smile.  
“There,” he said, the tip of the sword no longer digging lightly into João's throat. “Was that so hard?” he cooed. “Listen to me. I am nearly done with my shift. I want you to stay here and wait until I get back, and I will take you back to my house. You will no longer have to steal and rest on dirty streets. Deal?”

“If I say no?” João asked, looking at him warily.

“Well, then I deal with you as I deal with all thieves. Your hands are cut off, and I arrest you to be hanged in the center of town tomorrow,” the captain said nonchalantly.

João pretended to think it over, weighing his chances as he looked around for something, anything that could help him. The bricks of the building stuck out in some parts, could he make it? He glanced back at the captain, confused at the sight of the grin on his face and the sparkle in his eyes.

“…You want me to run,” João noted slowly, piecing everything together.

The captain laughed and sheathed his sword. “You really are a clever one Medeiros,” he said. “There is no fooling you, is there? No wonder you have stayed alive for so long.”

“And you really are a crazy bastard,” João scoffed.

“I simply enjoy the thrill of a good hunt, is that so bad?” the captain asked. “You’re right, it really would be no fun if you gave into me so easily. But I will have you eventually Medeiros. Now go, I want to see you try to climb that wall before I go back to my patrol.” He laughed at João's bewildered expression. “Did you think I wouldn't notice you looking for a way out?” he asked. “You are not the only perceptive one.”

João felt trapped. If he ran down the street, the captain would catch up to him. If he climbed the building to get away, he would only be doing what the captain wanted. His mind slowly cleared. He needed to get back to Antonio, he couldn't let himself get caught by the captain. So what if it meant doing what the captain wanted? The chance to get out alive and see Antonio again was worth too much.

João grabbed onto the wall and leaped up, scaling it with minimal effort. He heard a whistle from below as he made it to the roof in seconds and grimaced, glancing back to see the captain looking up at him.

“Oh no, I can't get to you when you're up there,” the captain lamented, though his voice lacked any actual despair.

“Go to hell,” João growled, spitting down at him before taking off, careful in keeping his steps quick and light in case there were weak spots in the buildings he ran across. He ran until there were no other ways he could stay up on top of the buildings and continue to go anywhere, at which point he carefully climbed down and leaned against the side of the building to catch his breath for a moment. He glanced around, a deep frown on his face as he pieced together where he was in relation to the stable that he put Ofélia up in. He sighed heavily as he realized he had gone the wrong direction over the rooftops.

Well, no time to worry about that, he thought. He needed to get back to Antonio and apologize. The sun hung low in the sky as he headed through narrow alleys and backstreets towards the stables, the golden hues washing over everything. João smiled gently to himself and scrubbed at his cheeks with the back of his wrist to get rid of the dry tear marks.

It wasn't until he was almost back at the stables that he realized he had nothing to pay the stable hand. He left his money pouch on the couch at his house. He could take Ofélia and run. He grimaced at the thought, already feeling the judgement from Antonio if he found out. Maybe he could convince the stable hand to let him take Ofélia under the promise of returning as quickly as possible with his payment. He took a deep breath and strolled into the stables. He put on his most charming smile.

“You are the one with the black mare correct?” the stable hand asked.

“Yes, I have come to take her back,” João said.

“Certainly,” the stable hand agreed, unlocking Ofélia’s stable for him. “It will be ten silvers.”

“About that,” João said, clasping his hands and grinning. “I had left without my coin purse. Would you mind if I took my mare now and came back in two hours or so with your payment?”

The stable hand frowned and thought it over. “Please give me something of yours,” he said. “So that I know you will come back for it.”

João sighed heavily in defeat. “Very well,” he said. He frowned as he rummaged in his empty pockets, realizing he didn't have anything that he could easily give up. “Er..how about my gloves?” he offered, taking off his worn leather gloves. The stable hand grimaced and shook his head.

“Those are not worth a horse,” he said, then pointed at the jeweled brooch that held his cloak on him. “How about that?” he asked.

“This?” João asked, paling slightly as he pointed to his brooch. “No, I wouldn't be able to keep my cloak on me and ride at the same time.”

“Then leave your cloak too,” the stable hand said nonchalantly. “It is hot out anyways, and you will be coming back for it.”

João hesitated, thinking it over for several moments. He could just go to the nearest tavern, pickpocket some drunks, and get the money. No, Antonio's disappointment would be too much to bear. They just fought over how wrong it was to steal money from common folk, maybe…maybe Antonio would let go of some of his anger if he knew that João left his beloved cloak behind as collateral to get the payment of his own money instead of taking money from others for it. He frowned and reluctantly unclasped his cloak, gingerly folding it up. He looked up from it to hold it out to the stable hand, who looked much more pale than before.

“You…You’re…” he started, and João waved him off.

“Yeah yeah, it's me. Now hurry up and unlock the stable,” he said, then stopped and glared at the stable hand. “Do not dare try to call any guards. If I go down, you will be brought down with me,” he hissed. The stable hand gave a frantic nod and unlocked the stable before scurrying to stand on the far side of the stable, as far away from João as he could. João patted Ofélia’s neck and then hopped up onto her back, guiding her out of the stable. He kicked her into a gallop immediately after leaving the stable, his heart pounding against his chest. His cloak was the only thing that kept him safe in the open. He leaned forward as much as he could in the saddle, gripping onto Ofélia’s mane instead to keep steady as he rode her towards the gates.

Worried could not begin to describe how Antonio felt at that moment. How could he have been so stupid?! He should have left the conversation for another time, a time when João wasn't kissing him so sweetly and holding onto him as if the world depended on it. He sniffled and hugged the couch cushion to his chest, his cheeks soaked with tears as he laid curled up on the couch. He prayed endlessly to whoever he could think of, asking to keep João safe. To keep him safe so he could come back unharmed and Antonio could apologize to him and maybe manage to at least salvage their friendship. He assumed a relationship was out of the question at this point, though he desperately wanted to kiss and hold João again. He wanted to wake up every morning to João's face illuminated by the soft glow of sunlight, to know that he was safe and in his arms.  
But that chance was now ruined, because he couldn't keep his mouth shut. He gave the pillow a pitiful squeeze as he trembled from trying to hold back his sobs.

He scrambled to his feet when he heard hoofbeats outside, and he immediately threw the pillow aside and sprinted outside with bare feet just as João was leaving the stables. João’s eyes widened, and he caught Antonio in the tight hug with a soft grunt.

“J-João I am s-so so-sorry,” Antonio hiccuped, burying his face into João's shoulder. João hesitated and wrapped his arms around him gently.

“What do you have to be sorry for?” he murmured as he rubbed his hand up and down Antonio's back.

”I— I should have not asked about the g-guitar,” Antonio sniffled. “I ruined our— our friendship.”

João sighed and gently patted his back. “Let's go inside and talk about it,” he murmured.

Antonio slowly regained his composure as he followed him inside, scrubbing at his eyes with the back of his wrist. _You idiot!_ he scolded himself. _Crying like a child will only make him hate you more! See, he won't even look at you!_

Antonio's red-splotched face and swollen eyes made João's heart twist in guilt so badly that he could not stand to look at him. _How could I be so cruel to him? After how hard he has worked, and how loyal he has been, how could I cause him such pain?_ he lamented. He silently led Antonio inside, and he heaved a deep sigh as he collapsed into his chair. Antonio hesitated for a moment before sitting down on the couch, his eyes darting everywhere around the room except for João.

It was João who broke the silence first. “I apologize. I should not have acted in such haste,” he muttered, a bitter taste on his tongue from swallowing his pride.

“I was the one that— that should not have acted like that!” Antonio defended, his eyes watering again. “I am sorry João, I truly am. I forget you are a thief, it is what you do, and I should not—”

“No, you were right to be angry at me,” João interrupted. “It is selfish of me to—”

“I did not mean—”

“Please, let me finish,” João said, holding his hand up. “You were right, it was selfish of me to not think of the guitar maker. Seventy gold pieces really is nothing to me. So tomorrow, I will go into town and deliver the payment for it. If you do not trust me, you may come with me.”

Antonio stared at João wide-eyed, his mouth open in shock. “I— I see,” he muttered. “I..I am still sorry though. For yelling at you. I ruined the moment.”

“The moment?” João repeated, then grinned at him. “Ah, right. The kissing.”

“How can you act so— so nonchalant?” Antonio asked. “We're— you're— we—”

“Hey, remember what I told you earlier?” João asked, moving to sit next to him on the couch. “Think of what you would like to say first, then say it.”

Antonio fell silent, looking down at his hands in his lap. What did he want to say? What could he say? At his silence, João sighed and shook his head, a light smile on his face.

“I will give you the night to think it over,” he said, giving Antonio's shoulder a small pat. “I have to go back and pay the stable for keeping Ofelia. I left my cloak as collateral, the faster I get it back the less chance there will be guards waiting for me when I get back.”

“D-Do you want me to get it for you?” Antonio suggested. “It is only right, after what I said.”

“Do not worry so much about what you said,” João assured him as he grabbed his coin purse on the couch and got to his feet. “I will not keep you up. Have a good night.”

“W-Wait,” Antonio said. “Can..Can I say something first?”

João paused and looked back at him. He smiled again and sat back down next to him. “Of course. What is on your mind?”

Antonio paused, taking a deep breath. “I am sorry for, er, trying to defend the use of that opium the doctor gave me,” he said. “I did not realize that it bothered you so.”

“I am sorry for being so harsh,” João said. “I should not have acted in such a manner, but I have seen that ruin too many lives.”

“I understand,” Antonio muttered. “I cleaned it up, do not worry.”

João chuckled and ruffled Antonio's hair. “I was not worried. You did not seem the type to try to lick it off the floor,” he teased. “Oh, I had fresh sheets hanging up outside. Did you take them down?”

“No, I will do that while you get your cloak back,” Antonio said, getting to his feet as well. “Go, hurry.”

“Very well,” João said with a laugh. While Antonio went outside to get the sheets, João went into his bedroom.

João came outside a few minutes later with a couple of daggers strapped to his waist and leg. Antonio noted there was a slight difference in his gait. He paused in the middle of taking the sheets down so he could wave João off as João left on the back of Catalina.

João would have taken Ofelia, but after taking Ofelia all the way over to the capital and back, especially after pushing her so hard, he did not want to risk overworking her. The last thing he needed was for Ofelia to get injured. Catalina proved to be fast enough anyways, though she had to slow down much more frequently than Ofelia would have.

He got to the capital and went to the stable, sighing in relief at the absence of any guards that immediately jumped out at him. “Good kid,” he said, ruffling the stable hand’s hair before handing him the payment. He took his cape back and fastened it securely around himself, a sigh of relief escaping him at having his form mostly hidden again.

João led Catalina out of the stable again, feeling much more at ease now that he was not completely exposed. Of course, wearing his cloak arguably drew more attention than without, but the guards that were not as familiar with the sight of it would not immediately stop him. As long as he didn't run into—

“Is that the horse you stole from us?” a voice asked from behind, and João felt his heart stop. He slowly turned around and there the captain was, trailing behind him on the same proud horse as before.

João cleared his throat and looked back ahead. “Perhaps,” he said over his shoulder. “What does it matter? It was not your horse to begin with.”

“It was not yours either,” the captain said.

“Why are you in this part of town?” João retorted.

“I was simply passing through. It must be fate,” the captain cooed.

”I want a different fate,” João grumbled under his breath, then glanced back at him. “It was that stable hand, wasn't it?”

”Very well. Yes,” the captain said. “I had received a tip about a stable that guaranteed the Cygnus Thief would return before the night was over. I paid quite handsomely for that information, you know.”

João gritted his teeth and gripped the reins tighter. _Time to see how good of a racehorse you were_ , he thought as he kicked Catalina into a gallop. His heart dropped in worry as he realized she was not even close to the same level as Ofelia. She may have been a racehorse in her prime, but her prime was well past her now.

João looked over his shoulder, expecting to see the captain right behind him, but to his surprise and confusion the captain was maintaining the same pace, keeping a steady gap between them. He didn't understand, he thought that the captain’s horse would have easily caught up with Catalina. He remembered being nearly outrun on Ofelia’s back by horses from the guard, so why was he not running circles around Catalina?

The answer was made clear as Catalina, her old lungs unable to take such a fast gallop for very long, slowed down to rest. The captain advanced briefly before his own horse slowed as well, the gap going back to the same as it was before. João narrowed his eyes and slowed Catalina to a trot, just to test the waters. He kept a tight grip, just in case.

The captain grinned and moved his own horse up to trot next to João. “Done running?” he asked. “I thank you for making my job easier.”

“What happened to enjoying a good hunt?” João asked with an accusing glare.

“I am not on shift anymore,” the captain said. “I was on my way to get a drink when I was told of your guaranteed return. If you have nowhere to go—”

“I have somewhere to go,” João interrupted. A flash of anger briefly appeared on the captain’s face before being replaced with the same cool smirk as before.

“Very well,” the captain said, sitting up a little straighter in his saddle.

“You are not going to leave me alone now, are you?” João asked deadpanned.

“Of course not,” the captain laughed. “Where could the amazing Cygnus Thief be off to at this hour?”

“Nowhere you need to be,” João scoffed.

“So cold, and after I have been so merciful,” the captain said, feigning hurt. His smile darkened. “I did warn you about what happened to thieves, did I not?”

“Hm, I believe it was ‘give them a small smack on the wrist and then let them go’, was it not?” João asked.

The captain laughed again. “This is why it would be a shame to let you hang, Medeiros,” he said. “There is hardly anyone else I have found that is as quick witted.”

“I'm flattered,” João retorted, rolling his eyes.

“That is why you should come live with me. You will be dropped of all charges, and living in luxury. I can give you anything you desire,” the captain said.

“Strange, I believe we just had this conversation not too long ago, did we not?” João asked.

“Oh yes, I think we did. I believe your answer was, ‘Yes Alejandro, that sounds wonderful, please take me immediately’, was it not?” the captain asked, a wide grin on his face.

João’s expression twisted into a disgusted grimace. “Alejandro? Is that your name?” he asked. The captain almost looked taken aback by his comment.

“Of course it is my name! I am the one and only Captain Juan Alejandro de Bautista y Dominguez,” he defended proudly. “Head of the Royal Guard, expert in catching low lives in my down time.”

“Are you sure about that?” João asked. “Oh, I am sorry. I did not realize I was expertly caught. Shall I stop my horse and cry out ‘damn you Alejandro—’ er, sorry, what was your name again?”

“Captain Juan Alejandro de Bautista y Dominguez,” the captain snapped. “Captain Bautista to you. I would not have said you are a low life such as the ones I catch, but you are testing my patience.”

“I am not forcing you to follow me,” João mused, his expression bored and uninterested. “In fact I would prefer if you didn't, I am sure our horses are tiring of going in circles around these roads.”

This only angered the captain more. “Do you not realize the bounty I have placed on you?!” he snapped. “Do you have any idea the lengths I have gone to try to catch you?!”

“I do not have any idea, because I do not care,” João pointed out.

The captain growled and drew his sword, and João yelped and just barely ducked in time to avoid the swing aimed right at his head.

“I tire of your sharp tongue, Medeiros,” Alejandro snapped. “You need to learn when to dull it.”

“Be careful with how you swing that thing, you could have killed me,” João said. “Then who would you obsess over?”

Alejandro glowered at him before slowly putting his sword back. “One of these days you will not be so lucky,” he snapped before turning his horse and heading the other way. João sighed in relief and headed Catalina for the gates, keeping her at a trot just in case the captain changed his mind and he needed her to take off at a sudden gallop.

Thankfully there was no more troubles with getting home, and João made sure to give Catalina an extra apple as reward for taking her out so late and for such a long journey. He strolled inside, pausing when he saw Antonio on the couch still. Antonio had the guitar João got for him in his lap, and he was tracing his fingers over the delicate detail.

“I thought I asked you to not wait up for me,” João said.

“You didn't say that, you only said you would not keep me up,” Antonio reasoned with an embarrassed blush.

João chuckled and sat down next to him on the couch, looking at the guitar. “Do you like it now that you know it will be paid for?” he asked.

Antonio hesitated briefly before giving a slight nod. “Yes, it does make it a better gift,” he agreed softly.

João smiled and gently leaned against him. “I am glad you enjoy it,” he whispered. “Now, get some sleep. There is a lot to think about.”

“I, er, did some thinking while you were gone,” Antonio admitted, setting the guitar aside so he could face João. “What happened earlier…” He trailed off and glanced aside, his cheeks darkening.

“You mean the kiss?” João asked.

“Yes, that,” Antonio muttered. “I…I really enjoyed it. I have been wanting to, er, to kiss you like that for a long time,” he admitted. João was silent for several moments, and with each moment that passed Antonio grew more worried. He finally couldn't take it and looked up at João, only to be met with João's lips immediately pressing against his own. He closed his eyes and melted into the kiss, a pleased hum escaping him as he brought one hand up to tangle it in João's hair.

João pulled away after a few moments, all too soon for both of them, and he cupped Antonio's cheek. Antonio realized there was a lingering sadness in those beautiful, golden-flecked green eyes.

“You realize there is no turning back from this, if it is what you choose,” João murmured. “If I am caught, you will hang with me. This will be your last chance to run and save your life.”

“No,” Antonio breathed. “I ran away before, and I was a total wretch then. I am never, ever doing that again. Not even if I am putting my own life on the line by staying. João, I-I…I love you.”

João stayed silent for several moments. His eyes darted over Antonio's face, searching for any sign, waiting for him to break and laugh, to say that it was a joke. When it didn't come, when all Antonio stared back at him with was worry, vulnerability, and hesitance, João managed a shaky smile and pressed a quick peck on his lips.

“I..I think I love you too,” he murmured. “I was torn apart when you left. I was a wreck when we fought. I could not even properly scout my target’s house.” He couldn't help but laugh softly. “Who knew the world’s greatest thief would let his heart get captured so easily by a low stable hand?” he teased.

“Oh, a low stable hand?” Antonio questioned with a strong brow raised. He gave him a bright smile as he tugged the loose strands of his hair. “You break my heart João. I changed my mind, give it back!”

João laughed and poked Antonio's nose. “Once I take something, then it is mine forever unless I am convinced otherwise,” he cooed. “But I can fix it back up for you. For a fee of course, this is no charity.” He grinned and wrapped his arms around Antonio's waist to pull him closer. “Ah, I suppose one kiss should be enough to cover the costs. Maybe two,” he mused. “I change my mind. Definitely two. Three if you are satisfied and want to tip.”

“Seems fair enough,” Antonio muttered, leaning over to lovingly press his lips against João's. He pulled away only briefly, biting his lip before deepening the second kiss. His good hand roamed João's back, feeling the strength built there. He broke the second kiss, sighing in content, this time pulling himself closer to plant a soft kiss right below his right eye, his lips touching the beauty mark that he adored so much.

“I have always wanted to do that,” he admitted with a light chuckle, blush covering the entirety of his face. He pulled away and stifled a yawn.

“Let's go to bed now,” João suggested. He stood and helped Antonio to his feet, then shuffled off towards his bedroom.  
Antonio hesitated before slowly making his way to his own room. He really did not want to sleep in his room, not after experiencing how soft João's bed was, but he could not force João to take his room instead so that he could be selfish.

“Where are you going?” João asked, making Antonio stop in his tracks and look at him with a bewildered expression.

“To…To my bedroom?” Antonio said, though it came out more as a question.

“Do you not want my bed anymore?” João asked. “I will not complain to having the bed entirely to myself, but if your arm is sore then it is only right that you are as comfortable as you can.”

“You are okay with sharing a bed with me?” Antonio asked.

“After what just happened, I do not see why not,” João said with a shrug. “We have already shared a bed once before, have we not?”

Antonio nodded and hesitantly followed João into his bedroom. He remembered not to stare this time as João changed into the silk robe again, and he carefully wiggled out of his own shirt to lay down. He noted with a flustered blush that João must have changed the sheets earlier.

João soon laid down next to him. “Good night Antonio,” he murmured, then hesitated before adding, “I love you.”

“I love you too. Good night,” Antonio whispered, closing his eyes. Sleep came easily to him then, relaxed by the warmth coming from João and the steady sound of his breathing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all for now, until next Sunday! 
> 
> Please leave a comment and/or kudos if you liked it, also feel free to hit us up at @merciful-mercenary or @sinunamor on tumblr.
> 
> ALSO!! THERE'S AN APH PORTUGAL DISCORD! JOIN US AT https://discord.gg/KVtEe2Q
> 
> That link will never expire, so if you are reading this way into the future, it will still work. Come join us!! Scream about how good aph Portugal is as a character, or just come to chat with us. We are very lonely.


	9. Gentle Glow

Antonio thought he was the first to wake up, his arm slung lazily over João's waist as they basked in the morning sun that shone through the window and warmed the room. João laid limp in front of him, his back brushing against Antonio's chest. Antonio had the urge to pull him closer and kiss him, just like he had wanted to the other morning. His heart skipped a beat when he realized he could. João and he were not quite friends any more, no longer boss and stable hand either. His breath hitched and he leaned in to press a chaste kiss to the side of João's neck.

However, he realized he was wrong with his earlier assumption as João turned his head to look at him, a sleepy smile on his face. Antonio felt his heart race at the sight of João’s face illuminated by the warm morning light, his eyes still hazy with sleep.

“Good morning,” Antonio rumbled, pressing another light kiss to the corner of João's jaw. He delighted himself in the content hum that João gave as he settled back into the bed, and even shifted to press back closer against Antonio.

“Good morning,” João finally mumbled in response.

Antonio smiled and slid his hand over João's much softer hand to grasp it. João pursed his lips and slowly brought their hands up to look at them, changing hands so he could press his palm against Antonio's and inspect the slight size difference. Antonio felt his heart melt as João took his hand and played with it, and he watched him with half lidded eyes. João slowly stroked his thumb over his fingers, feeling the strength in it, and he gently bent and curled each finger and Antonio's wrist. He ran his fingers over each callous and faint scar earned from years of work and jockeying. Antonio could feel the unspoken question, the curiosity and wonder about where each one was earned from, but João didn't dare ruin the moment by speaking.

Antonio felt as if he would melt when João brought his hand closer to brush his lips over the inside of his wrist. João trailed his lips up along his wrist and over his palm, and he turned Antonio's hand over to press a firmer kiss to his knuckles. He rested Antonio's hand on his cheek and closed his eyes as Antonio gently stroked his thumb back and forth other the hard line of his jaw.

Finally João relinquished Antonio's hand, and Antonio wrapped his arm securely around his waist again to hold him close. He silently praised his luck in finding someone so gentle and sweet as João turned over to snuggle into him. There was that beauty mark under his eye, so delicately placed. Antonio leaned in and pressed a kiss to it, earning him a soft smile and chuckle that made his heart soar. He couldn't help but lean down and pepper kisses along João's neck, though he stopped when João flinched and gave a muffled laugh. Antonio propped himself up on an arm and looked at him with a steadily growing grin.

“Is your neck ticklish?” he asked in disbelief.

“No!” João defended quickly, moving to get up, but Antonio grabbed his lithe frame and pulled him back against his chest again to pepper even more kisses along his neck. João tried to contain his laughter as he squirmed to try to get out of Antonio's hold. Antonio paused for a moment just to listen to João's muffled giggles, the sound like music to his ears. He grinned and brought one hand up to gently tickle the crook of his neck, earning him a sharp gasp. Antonio laughed as well and ran his fingers over João’s neck more as João laughed and threw a weak elbow back against him in an attempt to break free, though he was too busy laughing to make it hurt.

Suddenly João gave a loud snort, and they both froze in surprise. Antonio snapped out of his shock first and laughed.

“Oh, you are so cute!” he cooed, wrapping João up in a tight hug and rolling halfway over him.

“I'm not— I am not cute!” João defended, still gasping for air in between a few chuckles.

“I had no idea a world famous thief could be so cute!” Antonio gushed. “You are adorable! Absolutely adorable! Like a newborn foal!”

João gave a small laugh and threw another weak elbow at Antonio. “Get off of me, I want breakfast,” he grumbled.

“Okay, okay,” Antonio relented, rolling off of João. João rolled over to look at him, moving one hand to brush his fingers over Antonio's neck.

“Nice try, but I am not ticklish there,” Antonio said, grabbing João's wrist to press a kiss to João's palm.

“But you are ticklish,” João said with a smirk.

“I am,” Antonio admitted. “But I won't tell.”

“I will find out eventually,” João declared as he sat up and stretched his arms over his head. Antonio poked him in the ribs, causing him to almost jump off of the bed. João looked at him with narrowed eyes and moved away from him.

“Don't do that,” he huffed.

Antonio gave an innocent smile as he snuggled down into the sheets. “Fine, I will leave you alone,” he agreed with a chuckle.

João got to his feet and padded over to his wardrobe to get out some loose clothes. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure that Antonio was not watching before he slipped off his silk robe and folded it up to place it back into the box. He tugged on his clothes and sighed as he shook off the last bits of sleep that clung to his limbs.

“Any requests for breakfast?” he asked.

Antonio sat up to look at him surprised. “I-I can make breakfast,” he said, and João raised an eyebrow.

“I am already up,” he said. “I can make it. If you do not have any preference, I will simply make what I find first.”

Antonio sighed and slid out of bed to stretch with several cracks and pops. “Okay, I'm up,” he said. “Let me make breakfast.”

“If you insist,” João replied with a shrug. “I will tend to the horses.”

Antonio frowned and looked down at his bound arm, giving it a few experimental turns and flexing his hand. “I..I think I can tend to them as well,” he said.

“Absolutely not. I will not let you do anything until you are certain that you are fully recovered,” João insisted as he walked into the main room with Antonio trailing behind him.

Antonio did not want to admit it, but he was thankful that João was letting him rest up as much as possible, no matter how patronizing it felt. He went into the kitchen as João tugged on his boots and went outside.

Antonio looked at the different ingredients and food that João had sitting in his cupboards, frowning as he tried to think over what he could make. He brightened up as he finally got an idea and set to work.

João came back inside just as Antonio was spooning the porridge into two bowls, honey and sugar sitting on the table already in wait.

“Simple but good. I like it,” João noted with a small smile. “I did not even realize you had bought oats.”

“They make a good meal,” Antonio reasoned. “Not too heavy, but still filling.”

João nodded in agreement and sat at the table as Antonio served them both and poured them glasses of milk with the last of the bottle.

“We will need to get more milk today,” Antonio noted. He paused as he sat in his seat across from João, but shook off his thoughts and smiled. “I believe it is my turn to say grace, yes?” he asked.

“I believe so,” João agreed.

Antonio smiled and slowly made the sign of the cross, noting how it was much less painful than when he had initially sprained his arm. He quickly recited his thanks as João bowed his head and clasped his hands as well. Finally they went about eating, silent from how hungry they did not realize they had been until then.

“So do you have any, eh, plans?” Antonio spoke up when they were both almost finished. João paused in eating his last bites and glanced up.

“Plans?” he repeated. “Like what?”

“Well, you are a thief, so…”

“Oh,” João said. “No. I went scouting yesterday evening and I was almost caught. I am hesitant to try again in broad daylight.”

“Almost caught by the guards again?” Antonio asked, his face paling.

João hesitated, unsure of what to tell him. Would his encounter count as “almost caught”? Should he tell Antonio what happened?

“…No, no it was not by any guards,” he said. “By the people that lived in the house. They had a dog that started barking when it saw me.”

“So you have nothing to do today?” Antonio asked.

João noted how he looked hopeful. “No, I do not. Why?” he asked.

“Well I was thinking that we could start on your lessons today after you pay the guitar maker back,” Antonio explained.

João brightened up at hearing that. “Oh! I had almost forgotten in all of the excitement in these past few days,” he said. “That would be wonderful. I will head out immediately.”

Antonio smiled gently, pleased with João for not changing his mind about paying the guitar maker back after all. “Good. I will stay and clean up then,” he said.

“How is your arm feeling?” João asked.

“Better, it doesn't hurt unless I move it too much,” Antonio said. “You were right, I did not need that opium. In a few days I will get right back to my chores.”

“Do not rush it, that may only make things worse,” João advised.

“I won't, but I also won't stand by and let you do all of the work when I can wash dishes with one hand,” Antonio said. He gathered up their plates and took them over to the empty basin.

“I will get the water,” João said. He filled a bucket up with water and poured it into the basin for Antonio.

“I have, er, been meaning to ask,” Antonio said as he started to scrub their plates off. “Perhaps there will be something we need to do before your lessons. I think a bath is due, for both of us, but I cannot heat up and carry the water by myself.”

João looked at him in surprise briefly before laughing. “Ah, I cannot deny that. I am sure I do not smell pleasant after how much I have been running around these past few days,” he said. “You realize the river is right there?”

“I..do not like how open the river is,” Antonio admitted, pausing in his washing. “I would prefer to bathe inside. If you do not mind.”

“Of course not. I will heat up water for you once I am back then,” João agreed. “You can have your privacy while I bathe in the river.”

Antonio sighed and focused back on washing off their dishes. “You should hurry then,” he advised with a thin smile. “The sooner you are back the sooner I stop worrying that you are caught.”

“Relax, the small town is not filled with guards like the capital is,” João assured him. “I will be fine.”

“If you insist,” Antonio muttered.

João laughed and turned to leave, but stopped. “Oh, but I do not think I have met the guitar maker,” he said. “I would like to deliver the payment directly to him, so that I can apologize for the mishap.”

“As you are heading into town, you take the first street to the left of the market— you, er, remember where the market is, correct?” Antonio asked.

“Of course I know where the market is,” João said, rolling his eyes. “I have been here for three years. Before you ask, yes I also know the difference between left and right. And I can count.”

Antonio flinched back. “I-I’m sorry, I did not mean to offend,” he said.

João’s expression softened. “Do not apologize. It is simply something I get asked a lot,” he explained, ruffling Antonio's hair. “I will be back soon.”

“Be safe,” Antonio mumbled, still feeling guilty for underestimating João. He brightened up slightly as he realized something. “Oh, you can buy milk while you are in town,” he said.

João blinked a couple of times before laughing softly. “That is true. I will return with milk then,” he promised. He left the kitchen and grabbed the money he would need, along with extra for milk. He took Ofelia into the town with an empty bag strapped to her saddle.

He followed Antonio's directions to a shop that he could only assume was the right one. He could not tell what the sign said, but there was a picture of a guitar on it. He left Ofelia outside, giving her muzzle an affectionate rub before strolling inside the shop.

“Good morning! Are you looking for a guitar today?” a man said, wiping his hands with a rag as he walked around the counter.

“Ah, not exactly. I heard that you had made a guitar that was stolen,” João said. “It was, er, dark red, and had a white border on it? Pearl, correct?”

“Mahogany and mother of pearl, yes,” the guitar maker said, his eyes widening in recognition. “Have you seen it? Do you know who took it?”

“I was the one that took it,” João explained. “I apologize deeply. I have come to give you payment.”

The man looked taken aback. “You were the one that broke into my friend’s shop?” he asked, taking a step back as he stared at João warily.

“Again, I offer my sincerest apologies,” João said. He took out his coin purse and walked over to the counter to pour out most of its contents. He counted the coins briefly to make sure it was the right amount and then slid it across the counter. The man hesitated and immediately went about counting the gold pieces.

“…This is what you are paying me?” he asked.

“Yes, there should be one hundred gold pieces,” João said. “I was told it was seventy, but the extra is for the trouble.”

“I see,” the man said, his eyes narrowed as he took the payment. “Please do not ever return to my shop again.”

“I understand,” João said with a curt nod. “I hope your business continues to do well.”

With that, João turned and left the shop, untying Ofelia and hopping back on her. “Okay, time to go home. Nice and easy, wasn't that?” he cooed. He was about to leave, but thought better of it and headed for the more run down part of town. He owed himself a drink after everything that happened.

He stabled Ofelia under the overhang behind a tavern and strolled inside, casually taking off his hood. A chorus of cheers and welcomes echoed in the tavern from the few that were in the bar.

“Medeiros! We were all taking bets on whether you'd gotten killed finally or not!” one man said, striding over to clap João on the back.

“The day I die you will hear it all over,” João laughed as he returned the clap with a friendly shove. “I have been busy, that is all. What have you been up to? What are you doing here instead of Madrid?”

“Gah, those damn guards are flooding the streets like mice,” the other man scoffed, taking a swig of his beer. “They are protecting all of the nobles that are arriving today for the ball.”

“The ball?” João repeated, confused.

“Hey Medeiros, are you going to drink this glass or not?” the bartender shouted at him as he held up a glass of deep red wine. João laughed and walked with the man up to the bar. He took a seat on one of the stools and took a sip of his wine.

“Wonderful as ever,” he said to the proud bartender, then turned back to his companion. “So tell me about this ball. What is happening?”

“To celebrate the queen becoming pregnant, the king is hosting a large party tomorrow night,” the man said. “Everyone who is important is attending, I heard.” He scoffed and took another swig of his beer. “Would have been a damn good opportunity for some money if those guards weren't everywhere in the city,” he grumbled.

“I am sure there would not be so many guards at this ball,” João said.

The man snickered and shook his head. “Medeiros, that would be impossible even for you,” he said. “It is by invite only, the whole palace will be on lock down.”

“Is that a challenge I hear?” João teased, grinning more.

“Hell, if you can make it into that party, I'll buy you drinks for an entire night,” the man laughed.

“Deal,” João said. They lightly tapped their glasses together and took another drink.

“I’m telling you Medeiros, you are lucky I have a bounty on my own head already,” the man said. “Did you hear they raised your bounty?”

“Yes, two thousand was it?” João mused nonchalantly. “But remember, the guards must catch me in order for you to earn the bounty.”

“Ah, true,” the man laughed. “You are a slippery one, are you not? That is why your bounty is so high.”

“That is not quite true, I believe,” João said with a wicked grin.

“What do you mean?” the man asked, pausing in his drink to look at him.

“I believe their royal captain, Captain Bastard or whatever his name was, is chasing me for my ass rather than for the things I have done,” João snickered.

“No!” the man gasped. “You mean the captain is a sodomite?”

“That is what I believe,” João said, swirling his wine around in his glass.

“That cannot be, I had just heard he got engaged to a young woman!”

“Did he now? Poor girl.”

“Think of the scandal that could cause! He could lose his job, the Royal Guard would be in disarray!”

João smacked him upside the head. “I believe you should think first,” he said. “The bastard reports directly to the king and queen. Are you going to go directly to the king and queen, with the bounty you have on your head, and tell them ‘your captain is a sodomite’? Even if you were by some miracle to get an audience with them, do you think they would believe you over their esteemed captain? What makes you think they would even do anything about it?”

The man scoffed and finished off his beer. “True,” he grumbled. “I cannot believe they would allow someone like that to be in charge of the royal guard.”

João rolled his eyes and tossed back the rest of his wine. “Well, it would be best if I head back home,” he said.

“Come on Medeiros, stay for another while! You just got here!” the man insisted.

“No, I have something I must take care of at home. Have a good evening,” João said, sliding the payment over to the bartender for his glass. With that, he left. He was about to take Ofelia back to his house, but remembered that Antonio had asked him to buy more milk while he was out.

He headed over to the market, stopping one of the women with baskets filled with bottles. He gave her a few coins for two large bottles, sticking them securely in Ofelia’s saddlebag before finally heading for home.

He was thankful for the less amount of guards in the smaller town. More specifically, he was thankful for the less chance of a crazy bastard of a captain showing up out of the blue again as he rode out of the town and towards the forest. He sighed in relief as he led Ofelia up to his house, and he put her in the stable after giving her plenty of petting and cooing.

“Rest up girl, you and I may have some excitement tomorrow,” he whispered.

João went inside with the bottles of milk, where Antonio was lightly plucking some of the strings of his guitar with his good hand, though he paused and looked up with a bright smile when he heard João's footsteps.

“Welcome back,” he said, and he hesitated before setting the guitar to the side. He got to his feet and walked over to João, wrapping his good arm around João's waist as he gazed at him with a shy blush.

“May I?” he asked, and João laughed softly and pressed a quick peck to Antonio's lips.

“You do not need to ask. I thought this morning made it clear,” João said.

Antonio flushed and looked away. “I— I am still trying to get used to it,” he admitted. “I have never, um, had any relationships.”

“I have not had many either,” João assured him. “It is difficult to, when you are so wanted. Brothels have been my only comfort.”

“Brothels?” Antonio repeated.

“All clean ones, I assure you,” João said. “I am not infected with anything, if that is what you are concerned about.”

“They have bad reputations from what I have seen,” Antonio defended. “I never thought you to be the kind to visit them.”

“It gets very lonely out here,” João said. “Ofelia is a good conversation partner, but not good for much else for company.”

“I see,” Antonio said, now thoroughly embarrassed at how much he assumed of João. He had thought with how João had clung to him when they embraced that he was touch starved, that he never had any contact with other people at all.

“I will not visit any now that you are here,” João promised. “It has been a long while since I have visited one anyways. It is difficult to go anywhere and be safe when I have such a large bounty.”  
Antonio smiled weakly at the promise. “I have never been in one. What is it like?” he asked as he led João back to the couch so they could both sit down.

“Dirty, sometimes. Always smells weird,” João mused. “The women are pleasant and nice, at least to me they were. They always were willing to stay with me as long as possible and do anything, sexual or not.” He flushed lightly in embarrassment and chuckled. “One time, I paid almost a full gold piece to a woman simply so I could cuddle with her,” he said. “It was one of my first experiences at a brothel. I was not particularly interested in sex, but I was feeling extremely lonely.”

“And yet you did not pay me this morning,” Antonio teased with a laugh.

João laughed as well and gave him a light nudge. “You did not ask for payment,” he pointed out.

“Hmm I suppose you're right,” Antonio agreed with a light grin. “Would you like to start on your lessons now?”

João smiled more and got to his feet. “Yes, I will get the blackboards,” he said. He went into his room and came back out a minute later with the two blackboards and box of chalk in his hands. He sat back down next to Antonio and handed him one of the blackboards.

“Will you be alright writing with your left hand?” he asked. “You said you are right handed, correct?”

“I can write with my left hand if I concentrate,” Antonio assured him, taking one of the pieces of chalk in his uninjured hand and slowly drawing out the letters of the alphabet.

“We will start with the alphabet,” he said as João started to carefully copy down what Antonio drew.

The lesson went on for a few hours, of Antonio making João erase his blackboard and write the alphabet over again until he had it memorized for now. João got impatient several times with the constant repetition, but was determined enough to not give up so early in the lessons, especially since it was Antonio that was teaching him. Antonio was gentle and kind every time João made a mistake, and he praised him plenty when he wrote a letter down correctly.

Finally they stopped for lunch when João’s stomach rumbled loudly.

“You have been learning quickly,” Antonio said as they worked on lunch together.

“I have always been able to learn and remember things fast,” João said as he cut up a few vegetables.

“Does it take a lot of memorization to be a thief?” Antonio asked.

“Of course it does. I would not be able to get in and out of my marks so quickly if I did not memorize the way I came in. Not to mention I have to remember what I am meant to steal, where it might be if the client provides that information,” João explained nonchalantly. He dumped the vegetables into a pan on top of some eggs that were almost cooked.

“That is truly amazing. I did not think that people would be willing to pay to have something stolen,” Antonio mused.

“Sometimes there are things that are custom made, that cannot be replicated or copied. Other times it is for envy, or petty revenge. It is not my business really, I am only told to get something, and as long as I am given payment for it then I am happy.”

“Interesting,” Antonio mumbled, turning back to his own work on cutting up ham.

João frowned lightly, noticing Antonio's unease. “I have been meaning to talk to you about that,” he muttered. “It bothers you that I steal, yeah?”

“Of course it does. Not only is it wrong, but you are risking your life every time you go outside,” Antonio sighed, setting the knives down and looking at João with a desperate look. “But I cannot tell you to stop stealing, I know that. It is your job, as long as you stay safe then I am happy.”

“I do not have to steal anymore,” João pointed out. “In fact, I am considering retiring. I have plenty of money, I really do not need to steal. I can simply turn down any more jobs I get.”

“Would you?” Antonio asked.

“If you are that bothered by it, I do not see why not.”

“No, I do not want to be the reason you stop stealing. If you stop stealing for my sake, then you will go back to it just as easily. I want you to stop stealing because you have decided it is enough.”

João stopped and looked at Antonio in surprise at his words. A small, warm smile slowly spread across his lips. “I suppose that is true,” he said. “Very well. I will stop stealing because I am sick of it as well. I would like more time to enjoy the events of the day, to be able to see the sunrise as I wake up rather than as I am going to bed. I will stop stealing because I wish to live, to be able to see another day and wake up with you again every morning just like we had today.”

“Is that good enough?” João asked.

Antonio flushed as he remembered that sleepy morning, filled with soft kisses and touches. He cleared his throat and turned back to cutting up the ham. “Yeah,” he agreed weakly. João chuckled and served their eggs onto their plates, and Antonio followed soon after by distributing even amounts of ham onto their plates with the egg. Antonio set the table as João went about pouring them glasses of juice, and Antonio found himself to not be as bothered by the prospect of them distributing the work into a meal evenly.

They sat down across from each other again, with João leading grace. Antonio tried to follow as best he could without aggravating his arm too much. As they started to eat, João glanced out the window.

“There is one thing that I must warn you about,” he said, breaking the comfortable silence. “There is a ball tomorrow evening, held at the palace. It is invite only, so I should not be able to get in, but I will try anyways. I have a night’s worth of free drinks riding on it.”

“You are kidding,” Antonio said. “The palace? There will be too many guards! João, it is too dangerous. A few drinks is not worth your life.”

“I bet on it. How am I supposed to uphold my title of being the world’s best thief if I am not able to get into an invite-only party?” João asked.

“Please, your title should not matter more than your life either,” Antonio insisted.

“Antonio, I will be fine, I promise,” João murmured. He reached across the table to gently rest his hand over Antonio's injured hand. “I will come back safe. You will not even know I was gone.”

Antonio looked down at their hands, and then back at João unsure. “What if you are recognized?” he asked.

“I won't,” João assured him. “I have a disguise that I use occasionally for events like this.”

“A disguise?” Antonio repeated. “Why not use that disguise all the time then, when you must go shopping?”

“I do, sometimes,” João said. “But it…I am not comfortable in it. I will leave it at that.”

Antonio was confused, but he did not bother pushing it. It was clear João did not want to talk about it. They went back to eating in silence until they were finished and João gathered up their dishes.

“I can—”

“You washed the dishes this morning. It's my turn,” João interrupted, giving him a wink and a cheeky grin. Antonio frowned, but he knew João was right. He huffed and sat back in his chair.

“I will warm up that bath water for you after this,” João said as he filled up the basin of water and set to work scrubbing their dishes off.

“Thank you,” Antonio muttered, blushing in embarrassment.

João made quick work of the dishes, and he set them back in the cupboard and tossed out the used water in the basin. He then started a fire in the hearth, and he made quick work of heating up a couple of buckets of water to pour into the tub as the faucet poured in cooler water from the river to even it out to the perfect temperature.

“Done,” he announced to Antonio. Antonio smiled and got to his feet, giving João a grateful kiss.

“Thank you,” he murmured. He grabbed a change of clothes before he went into the bathroom. He took his time with washing up, making sure to properly enjoy it, if nothing else because João had prepared it for him. The lavender soap that João had sitting on a dish smelled heavenly, and Antonio hoped that João did not mind him using it. He would promise to buy him a new bar if he did.

Once he was finished, he took the plug out and let the tub drain as he dried off and pulled his new change of clothes on. He walked out back into the main room, though he paused when he saw João sitting on the couch with one of the blackboards, carefully dragging a stick of chalk over it. Antonio brightened up as he realized João was scratching down random letters of the alphabet. He tried his best to quietly creep closer, thinking he was being sneaky since João had not looked up yet.

“Did you enjoy your bath?” João suddenly asked, and Antonio stopped and sighed. So much for sneaking up on a thief.

“Yes, I did,” he said, moving around the couch to sit down next to him. He noted how João's hair was still dry. “Did you not swim in the river?” he asked.

“You had the soap, and I did not want to rush you,” João said, wiping off the blackboard and setting it to the side to get to his feet. “I will be back now.”

“Wait, your faucet water comes from the river correct?” Antonio asked. “Why not bathe in here?”

“It takes time to fill it up, and I enjoy the feeling of bathing in the open,” João explained simply. Antonio frowned, not understanding, but did not question it as João went into the bathroom to retrieve the soap and a towel. He went outside, and Antonio plucked a few strings on his new guitar before the desire was too strong to ignore and he crouched as he walked over to the window. A lump formed in his throat as he saw João there, exhibiting raw freedom as he swam naked in the river, clearly enjoying the cool water.

João dove underwater and came back up, smoothing his long hair out of his face with a content sigh. Antonio bit his lip, feeling his cheeks warm at seeing João's graceful form arching, his lean muscles rippling as water droplets slid over his skin. He finally managed to tear his eyes away and he hurried back to the couch to wait for João to finish, knowing that if he had spent any longer staring he would have had to disappear into his room for a long time.

João came back inside a while later, his hair still damp and dripping a few drops that slid down his bare chest and back. Antonio flushed again and glanced away, pointedly looking anywhere except João. João sat down next to him on the couch, turning sideways to lean against him.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” he teased. Antonio tensed up, feeling like maybe he would have been better off locking himself in his room after all.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn't mean to watch— I thought—” he stammered, and João sat up to look at him with wide eyes.

“Wait, what?” he asked. “Were you watching me?” Antonio's voice died in his throat at the realization that he dug himself a deeper grave.

“I— Not for long,” he reasoned in a soft mumble, glancing away.

João cleared his throat and went back to leaning against Antonio. “I, er, was joking about my comment. I did not realize you were actually that kind of man,” he muttered.

“I-I’m not!” Antonio defended. “I'm sorry João, I— I was only curious, it was only for a couple minutes.”

João coughed and waved him off. “Do not worry about it,” he muttered. “But, ah…do not do it again.” He gave Antonio a weak grin to try to clear the air. “Well, not without telling me first, so I know to actually try to look good,” he joked.

“You don't need to,” Antonio mumbled, and João chuckled and gave him a small nudge.

“You flatter me,” he teased. “So, you did enjoy it?”

“L-Let's stop talking about this,” Antonio stammered, grabbing the blackboards to hand one to João. “Back to your lessons, yeah?”

“Very well,” João agreed, grabbing a piece of chalk.

They continued their lessons late into the evening, breaking briefly for dinner and for João to tend to the horses before João insisted they go back to the lessons because he thought he could recall the alphabet by memory and he wanted to show Antonio. They finally stopped when the candle was starting to run low and Antonio and João continued to trade yawns back and forth.

João trudged his way into his bedroom, with Antonio following behind. They repeated the same process as the previous night, with Antonio turning his back to João as João changed into his robe.

“I can buy you a robe as well, if you would like,” João offered when they were curled up together in bed.

Antonio frowned lightly as he thought it over, his fingers lightly trailing along the smooth sleeve of João's robe. It would certainly be more comfortable than sleeping in his regular work clothes.

“I can give you payment from my own money,” he offered.

“No need. Consider it a gift from me for the lessons you are giving me,” João assured him, slinging an arm over Antonio's waist. Antonio sighed and moved to cuddle up against him.

“If you insist,” he muttered, knowing better by now than to try to go against João when João wanted to buy him something.

“Good night Antonio,” João whispered, and Antonio felt his heart flutter at the soft kiss pressed on his forehead.

“Good night João,” he replied, then hesitated before adding, “I love you.”

He felt more than heard the chuckle that João gave at that.

“I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all for now! Please leave a comment/kudos if you liked it!
> 
> PLEASE consider commissioning me for writing or art at https://merciful-mercenary.tumblr.com/post/179890278890/hey-guys-so-for-some-reason-ive-been-having-a.   
> My writing commissions are only $3 per 500 words!! If you want a lot of words then we can work out a discount. Me having money = less time spent job hunting = more time to write this. Please commission me. 
> 
> Also, don't forget there's a discord server for appreciating aph portugal! https://discord.gg/KVtEe2Q


	10. A Fool's Waltz

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YALL HAVE NO IDEA HOW HYPED IVE BEEN FOR THIS CHAPTER ITS BEEN WRITTEN SINCE M A Y
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it, I'm sorry for posting a day late!

The next day, Antonio agonized all morning, trying to think of something, anything that could convince João to stay and not go to the ball that night. It would surely be a high security event, there would be guards crawling all over, each one of them eager to turn him in for that two thousand coin bounty. Was João really going to try to do something so reckless?

Antonio pushed the thought away. Of course he was going to, that much was more than obvious. How could he convince him not to? João did not strike him as the type to immediately change his mind, especially not when he was convinced that his title was on the line. He continued to try to plot, but every idea he thought of he knew would not get through João's pride without seeming selfish or suspicious.

An idea finally came to him as he was washing up the dishes from their lunch while João idly plucked a few strings on his new guitar. Maybe if he taught him guitar the entire day, then João would be too tired to want to go to the party after all. He hurried to finish up washing up and then went to sit next to João on the couch.

“How about we do guitar lessons today?” he suggested. João looked at him surprised.

“No, I was not interested in starting lessons yet,” he said. “I was simply looking at it.”

“Well we could start lessons,” Antonio insisted.

“I think learning to read is more of a priority, especially with your arm not quite healed,” João suggested.

“My arm is fine!” Antonio defended, but he knew he couldn't press the topic without seeming suspicious. He sighed in defeat and grabbed their blackboards to hand one to João. “If you are certain,” he mumbled.

“Perhaps you can show me a little bit of guitar if we finish with the writing lessons early,” João suggested, resting a reassuring hand on Antonio's shoulder to try to cheer him up. Antonio managed a weak smile and relaxed a little. There was still time to convince him, or distract him enough that he forgets about the ball entirely.

They went on with their lessons, and Antonio tried his best to stay focused and not worry about the ball that João was going to attempt to break into, but it was difficult to keep his mind from wandering while he waited for João to slowly copy down the letters. Everything that could go wrong cycled through his head. Disguise or not, he could get caught anywhere. If he was caught in the streets there may be a chance for him to get away, Antonio saw it for himself how quick João was. If João got caught at the party though, there would surely be too many people crowding the room for João to make a quick escape. He would be there, right in front of the king and queen and the entire guard. They could put him through trial right then and there and even have him executed immediately too.

“—nio? Hey, is something the matter?”

Antonio snapped out of his thoughts, blinking a few times when he realized his vision was blurry from tears. He looked at João, who was staring at him concerned.

“Are you alright?” João asked.

Antonio sniffled and quickly scrubbed away his tears with the back of his wrist. “I-I’m okay,” he muttered.

“Someone who is ‘okay’ does not start crying for no reason,” João said.

Antonio stayed silent for a few moments, his eyes darting around to try to think of an excuse. “I— er…I-It is getting late, the horses must be wanting their brushing,” he defended, scrambling to his feet.

“Antonio, tell me,” João started, but Antonio dashed out the door before he could finish. Antonio hurried to the stable and locked the door behind him, sighing heavily in relief. He heard the stable door rattle a few moments later and he brushed the horses out to try to relax.

“Antonio open the door,” João called out.

“Please leave me to the horses.”

“At least tell me what's wrong.”

“Nothing is wrong, go wait inside.”

“If you insist.”

Antonio sighed as he heard João's footsteps fading away, and he leaned against one of the stables with a hand rested on his chest. He sniffled and moved to Catalina’s stall to bury his face in her neck. How could he tell João to not go to—

The noise of splintering shocked him out of his thoughts, and he jumped back from Catalina to watch as shards of wood rained from the ceiling. João hopped down a moment later, rolling along the ground. Antonio rushed over to him as he dusted himself off of wood chips and dust.

“What the hell was that for?!” Antonio cried.

“You wouldn't open the door,” João explained flatly. “I didn't want to go through the trouble of going back inside to get the keys.”

“You— You could have just waited inside like I told you to!”

“I thought about that, but if you are hurt then I cannot leave you to suffer with the horses.” João sighed and rested his hands lightly on Antonio's shoulders. “Now tell me, what is the matter?”

Antonio couldn't help but keep staring up at the splintered hole in the ceiling. “The horses may catch a cold now, with that hole in the roof.”

“I will fix it tomorrow. What is the matter?”

“What if it rains tonight?”

“Antonio!” João snapped. “Stop trying to avoid the subject! I did not just break through a rotted piece of wood for you to not tell me what is wrong? Are you ill? Do you need me to go into town to get the doctor?”

Antonio looked at João with wide eyes, surprised at his sudden commanding tone. “I…” He hesitated and looked away. “I do not want you to go to that party tonight.”

With a deep sigh, João let go of him and took a step away. “Is that all?” he asked, and Antonio was surprised to see an amused smile on João's face.

“All?” he repeated. “João, you could die at that party! This is not something to take so lightly.”

“I have done far more dangerous—”

“That does not matter! I do not care if you've gotten away from something more dangerous, if there's even a slight amount of danger it might be enough to get you caught, and then what?” Antonio barely even noticed the tears streaming down his cheeks. “You'll be right in the palace, they'll be able to take you directly to the prison, and then— then—”

Antonio choked out a sob. He leaned his head on João's shoulder when João pulled him into a reassuring hug, and he clung to him tight as he cried into his shoulder. The hand that rubbed over his back helped soothe him, though he still hiccuped and sobbed for several minutes.

After what seemed like forever, Antonio finally sniffled and pulled away, feeling embarrassed at the large soaked patch on João's shoulder. He grimaced as João dried off his cheeks with his sleeve.

“Better?” João asked.

“No, you're still going to go.”

“Of course I am, but I promise I will be even more careful than I usually am.” João grinned and pressed their foreheads together. “Would you like me to bring you back anything in particular? A pocket watch, perhaps?”

Antonio couldn't help but laugh softly at the joke. “No, please do not steal for me again,” he said.

“Ah, but what if I steal for myself, and then decide I do not want it anymore?” João asked with a poke to Antonio's nose.

“João,” Antonio whined. “You told me you would stop stealing.”

“These are nobles, they can certainly spare a few coins.”

“João you have piles of gold in the cellar, the last thing you need is more money.”

“Not true. I can always use more money to spoil you with.”

Antonio felt his cheeks heat up and he huffed. “I have my own money.”

“Which I gave you.”

João clapped Antonio on the shoulder and chuckled as Antonio fell silent out of embarrassment.

“Well, you should hurry and brush the horses. I will prepare dinner early tonight,” João said. “Unless you would like to eat later on your own.”

“No, I would like to eat with you,” Antonio muttered. He did not want to think of it as what could possibly be his last meal with João, but the thought was still there in the back of his mind. Not to mention he remembered what the doctor said about João eating. If he chose to eat on his own later, then João might forget to eat before he left for the ball.

While João went inside to cook dinner, thankfully for the sake of Antonio's heart leaving through the front door of the stables, Antonio went about tending to the horses. Once he finished brushing out Catalina, he caressed her head and gave her a few scratches behind the ears.

“What am I supposed to do Catalina?” he asked. “Do I let him go to that party? Do I keep bothering him to not go? Maybe if I say it enough, then he won't. Or will he want to go even more? I do not want him to be mad at me.”

Antonio couldn't help but smile and rub her muzzle when she tossed her head. “No, you're right. I need to stop worrying so much. He will be fine on his own.”

He moved on to Ofelia’s stall with the brush. Ofelia stared him down with strong, deep brown eyes. Antonio found that he didn't feel as intimidated by her anymore.

“You are a very pretty girl aren't you?” he cooed, in what he hoped was close to how João cooed at her. It must have worked, or perhaps Ofelia was in a particularly good mood towards him, for she stood completely still as Antonio brushed her off.

“Listen, your master will be going on a very important journey tonight,” he sighed. “I want you to take care of him. Do not let him get into any danger, understand?”

Antonio took the slight flick of her tail as a sign that Ofelia acknowledged him. She stood tall and proud as he continued to brush her off.

“Ha, prideful just like your master,” Antonio muttered. He took extra time to make certain that Ofelia looked her best for the journey that João would make that night. He made sure to spend time brushing off El Domingo as well, though he hesitated and looked at his bound arm when it came time to clean the stalls. Would it be wrong to ask João to do it instead? He tried to go about mucking the stalls and giving the horses fresh hay, but after cleaning out Ofelia’s stall his arm was aching too badly. He sighed and put the rake back, trudging inside. He wished his arm would heal already.

Inside, João looked to be just finishing up dinner for them. “You took your time,” he noted, and Antonio glanced away.

"I, er, tried to clean out the stalls. They were getting filthy,” he explained.

“Antonio,” João said, his voice stern. “What did I say about you working?”

“I know, I know, but you have your party tonight, and I didn't want the horses to be in dirty stalls for any longer,” Antonio said as he went about setting the table.

“I will clean them tonight before I leave. I do not want you stepping foot in the stables again unless it is to ride one of them or pet them.”

Antonio deflated at the scolding. “But..I can still brush them without any pain."

“No. If you try to brush them, then you will want to do more, clearly,” João huffed. “No work, at all. It does not matter how light or important.”

Antonio sighed in defeat and sat down at the table to wait for João to finish making dinner. Once they said grace and ate the light meal, João went about cleaning up the dishes as Antonio lounged on the couch and tried to relax.

“I am going to go clean out the stalls now and then get ready for the ball,” João said as he walked in.

“Do not work too hard,” Antonio said, though he hoped that João would tire himself out by cleaning the stalls and would decide not to go to the ball after all. His hoping and praying came to be in vain though, and João came back in with barely flushed cheeks.

João went downstairs into the basement without a word. Antonio did not think much of it, until more time started to pass and João still did not come back. When over an hour had passed, Antonio was starting to think that João had left out of a secret exit in the basement. He was soon proven wrong as a woman— no, as João came back upstairs.

Antonio choked on his spit as he took in the figure before him. A large, puffy, light pink dress fit over a body that Antonio was sure was not normally that curvy. He was thoroughly confused on where the chest came from. Was that even João? The softened jawline and expertly arranged hair, combined with the delicate jewelry hanging from the now-stranger’s ears and neck, did not add up.

“You're drooling.”

Yes, that was definitely João's voice. It was jarring to hear the deep, silky voice of his lover when it did not appear to fit the makeup-covered face. Antonio stammered for an explanation as João moved to sit down next to him.

“What do you think?” he asked.

“You— You’re…You're gorgeous.”

João chuckled and unfolded a silk hand fan to cover his smile with it in a show of mock shyness. “You charmer,” he purred. “Give me a kiss for luck.”

Antonio could not deny a request like that. He leaned in and pressed a light kiss to João's lips, careful not to be too firm. He was pleased with himself when he pulled away and saw he managed to not smear the red on João's lips.

“Be careful,” he mumbled.

“I will,” João promised.

Antonio glanced down, hesitating for several moments. He debated whether or not he should ask.

“Corset and padding.”

Antonio was shocked out of his thoughts and looked back at João, who had an amused smile on his face.

“That is what you were wondering, is it not?” João asked. “How I managed to get this body? It is a corset and special padding.”

Antonio swallowed nervously and nodded. “I-I see,” he muttered. “I did not know your ears were pierced.”

“I do not like wearing these. They are too heavy, but societal standards say I must,” João sighed. “I do not like this outfit much at all, but I would be too recognizable if I went as I am.”

Antonio smiled gently and gave João's gloved hand a gentle squeeze. “Please come back safe,” he murmured, giving his knuckles a small kiss. “Will you be riding there?”

“Yes, this dress is suitable as a riding dress,” João said. He got to his feet and pressed one last light kiss to Antonio's forehead. “I will be back late tonight. Do not wait up for me, please.”

Antonio smiled and reluctantly let go of João's hand. “I almost wish I could go with you, if nothing else than to see everyone's faces as they see you.”

“If all goes well, I will not be seen,” João said with a wink. “Sleep well.”

“Be safe,” Antonio mumbled, his heart sinking when the door slammed shut.

* * *

 

João hummed softly to himself as he rode Ofelia into Madrid, the streets being mostly empty since the ball had long since started and everyone that was important had arrived.  He paid the stableboy for Ofelia's stall and then went on his way, taking a way around the palace to the gardens in the back. Of course there was a large wall that protected the gardens, and João could hear people conversing and strolling through the gardens, but after some patience and waiting in silence, he found an opening to climb up over the wall with his heels gripped between his teeth so he could climb easier. He silently cursed the corset that limited his mobility, and the rustling of his dress that seemed much louder to him than it actually was. He peeked up over the wall briefly to make sure there was absolutely nobody in the gardens, then swung his legs over and dropped down with much less grace than he usually had. He cursed under his breath and then stood up straight to fix his skirts. He glanced around once more to make sure nobody saw him before he slipped his shoes back on and proceeded into the main room of the revelry.

It almost sent him into a panic, seeing so many people of high power around and chatting. He took a deep breath and slowly hissed it out before he crept along the edges of the room. He glanced around, taking note of the amount of guards stationed in the room. Meager at best, only one per entryway that led somewhere the guests were not allowed to explore. João rolled his eyes and stayed at the edge of the room, looking around at all of the guests. A few were already starting to get past being just a little tipsy, and he took note of them. They would most likely be the easiest to pickpocket later on as the night grew.

Most people did not pay much mind to the woman quietly sipping at a glass of wine at the edge, though a few men gawked and stared, for she was extremely beautiful, and they quietly wondered amongst themselves where her companion could possibly be, and who he thinks he is to leave such a beauty by herself. However, right as one of them gathered up the courage to straighten up and prepare himself to approach her, she had disappeared into the crowd again.

“Ah, a shame,” he sighed, then turned to the much more extravagantly dressed man beside him who was looking rather disinterested with the gawking. “Oye Captain Bautista, try to cheer up. Your moping just made you miss quite a beauty,” he teased.

Alejandro gave a sharp look to the man beside him. “I have just recently become engaged Jaime, I cannot be looking at other women,” he retorted, slapping Jaime upside the head.

“That fiance is not here now,” Jaime teased, not fazed at all by the smack. “Come on, do not tell me that chasing that petty thief has taken up all of your attention now? Lighten up!”

“That matters not,” Alejandro scoffed, thankfully cut off by the tune signaling that the band was about to start to play again, a waltz that they would switch partners in frequently. He drained the last of his wine to try to prepare himself and then joined the fray. The things I have to do for appearances, he thought, silently cursing his position. He forced a polite smile onto his face as he pulled a nearby woman close to start dancing. The woman smiled warmly and batted her eyelashes at him.

“It must be dangerous, being the captain of the royal guard,” she purred, and Alejandro mentally rolled his eyes at the poor attempt at flirting.

“Yes, but my fiance does not mind,” he said, his teeth grinding a little when he realized that his casual mention of a fiance did not seem to shake the woman at all. This was going to be a long night.

João did not pay much heed to the band as they started to play, only taking another small sip of wine as his eyes scanned over the crowd closely. Unfortunately, a man almost a full head shorter than him sidled up and linked their arms together.

“A beautiful woman like you should be at the center of a dance, not outside of it,” he said, and João gave him a shaky smile. The man handed João's wine glass off to a nearby servant before tugging him farther into the room. João couldn't help but laugh silently as the stranger insisted on leading, despite being very clearly shorter than him. It resulted in some clumsy movements, and it wasn't long before the man got clearly frustrated.

“How about we switch?” he suggested to a nearby couple, taking the woman from the other man's grip before the man could protest, though it was clear that he was relieved by the interruption while the woman was not so pleased. João was quickly swept up by this new man to get back into the flow of everyone dancing to avoid getting run into. He spared a quick glance up at his new dancing partner, and stumbled a bit as he felt his blood run cold. He stared up with wide eyes at the captain of the royal guard himself, the one man who wanted him dead, or maybe not, more than anyone else. He felt nauseous.

Alejandro was thankful for the interruption, glad that the much shorter man took the woman before she could try to convince him for the fifth time that it didn't matter if his fiance didn't find out. He couldn't help but smirk proudly as his new partner's eyes widened in surprise at seeing him, surely out of shock that someone like her was dancing with the captain himself. He reasoned that she must be too stunned by his grandeur to comment on it.

“I trust that you are enjoying yourself?” he purred. He had to admit, she was quite beautiful. He would never do anything but look however. The woman swallowed nervously and gave a shy nod, her eyes still wide as her grip on his hand loosened slightly, as if ready to bolt. Alejandro frowned at this and gripped her hand tighter to make up for it, but paused. It was then that he realized.

The hand that he was gripping was surprisingly strong for a noblewoman, and larger than what was typical. He furrowed his brow and gently brushed his hand over her side, possibly a little more firmer than necessary. Her torso was little more broad than usual, too, and held lean muscle under the layers of fabric.

The final piece clicked into place when he stared a little bit closer at her face and saw the beauty mark placed under her right eye. He brought his hand up quickly and brushed his thumb over it, narrowing his eyes when he saw the bright green eyes of the “woman” sparkle with mischief as she smirked.

“What's your name?” he asked, the question coming out more as a growl.

“I think you know,” João whispered. The voice only confirmed Alejandro's suspicion, and Alejandro gritted his teeth.

“ _Cygnus Thief_ ,” he hissed. “How did scum like you get into this party?”

“If I told you, then my escape route would be blocked,” João said, a playful smirk on his face as he spun around with Alejandro. Alejandro pulled him back slightly with the spin, trying to pull him away from the crowd. Unfortunately, João picked up on it quickly and fluidly tugged them back into the crowd. Alejandro growled, his eyes blazing with fury and annoyance at the teasing smirk on João's face.

“The esteemed captain should not look so grim at a ball,” João muttered, keeping his voice down so nobody else besides Alejandro heard him above the music.

“And a filthy thief like you should not be here to begin with,” Alejandro growled, giving a sharp tug backwards to try to lead him away again. However, he flinched as a couple behind him gave a soft scoff as he nearly crashed into him. It was then that he realized why João was so calm as he mocked him. He was trapped, he couldn't cause a scene and crash the party just to capture The Cygnus Thief. “A petty thief”, as Jaime put it earlier. He narrowed his eyes as João's grin only grew wider.

“You son of a bitch,” he hissed, and João snickered.

“That is no way to talk to a lady, Alejandro,” João cooed.

“That is Captain Juan Alejandro Bautista y Dominguez to you, scum,” Alejandro growled.

“That is João Santos Medeiros, the world renowned Cygnus Thief to you, Alejandro,” João fired back, and Alejandro recoiled a bit at the remark with a sneer.

“I did not give you that nickname for you to wave it around proudly.”

“Well what else am I supposed to do with it?”

“It is meant to give you a nickname for the public to identify you with.”

“I have a name, you could use that.”

“It is meant to dehumanize you and tell the public about the threat you are.”

“Hmm...” João pursed his lips and thought it over as he spun around with Alejandro again. “...No, I believe I am still all human.”

Alejandro groaned in frustration, feeling torn. Here was the cause of his misery, of his peers mocking him and of his drop in reputation, right in his arms, but he couldn't do a thing about it. It was worse that the thief knew that he couldn't do anything, and only mocked him further.

“You are quite good of a dancer for a man that wants me dead,” João mused quietly, snapping Alejandro out of his thoughts.

“After being in the court for so long, it has become second nature,” Alejandro scoffed. “I could not dance horribly even if I wanted to.” At seeing the raised eyebrow and teasing smirk on João's face, he added, “I only do not want to because I cannot make a bad impression on the others around us.”

“Sure,” João hummed. “Tell me, Captain Juan Alejandro Bautista y Dominguez, how much do you value your reputation?”

“More than you value your life, clearly,” Alejandro retorted.

“That is wrong. I value my life quite a lot,” João mused. “Although, it has only been recently that I've cared. More because I now have a reason--”

“I did not ask for your life story,” Alejandro interrupted.

“So rude, did your mother not teach you to never interrupt a lady?” João gasped.

“Cut the bullshit. You are no lady,” Alejandro scoffed, and João had to bite his lip to stifle his laugh.

“Ah of course, how could I forget?” he whispered. “If I were a lady, you would not be chasing me so intently.”

Alejandro's eyes widened at the accusation and he tightened his grip on João's hand in warning. “Do not speak so loudly,” he hissed.

“Nobody can hear us,” João assured him. “Your secret is safe with me. For the right price, of course.”

“Cygnus Thief,” Alejandro growled in warning, his eyes blazing with fury as he gritted his teeth. João raised his eyebrows in surprise and frowned slightly.

“It was a joke,” he whispered, and then an easygoing smile spread across his face. “Lighten up, there will be plenty of chances to catch me after the ball is over.” He pulled away to switch to a different partner, easily settling back into the “mysterious, silent woman” persona he put on. Alejandro scoffed softly and easily settled back into a relaxed form of the dance with his new partner. Unfortunately, even with it being slower and more relaxed, she was still not as quick on her feet and her movements seemed jerky in comparison to the fluid movements of the thief.

“You seem tense Captain Bautista, is something the matter?” the woman asked, and Alejandro gave her a polite smile.

“No,” he assured her curtly, slipping back into his own persona just as easily. “I apologize, I was so deep in my thoughts that I almost missed the beauty that's in my arms.” The woman giggled and batted her eyelashes at him.

“You charmer, I thought I heard you are engaged?” she asked.

“Just because I am engaged does not mean that I cannot appreciate beauty,” Alejandro mused, his gaze flicking past her to try to track João. Much to his chagrin, it seemed that João managed to slip into the crowd out of his sight with his dance partner. It only annoyed him more as the band drew to a close, and he bowed and kissed the woman's hand.

“It was a pleasure dancing with you, even if it was only for a short time,” he murmured, though it was far from the truth. Dancing with her was anything but pleasurable, and Alejandro quickly turned and strode off to get another glass of wine to try to help his dry mouth. He scanned the many faces as he sipped at his wine, trying to catch a glimpse of the thief again.

Meanwhile, João wasted no time in detaching himself from his new partner the moment the song ended. He gave a small smile and then dashed off, hoping that his hurrying was seen as shyness and not as fearing for his life like it actually was. He stayed within the crowd as best he could this time, most of the guests inebriated by now and a large handful being very drunk. It was easy to slip his hands into pockets, and he managed to fill his coin purse easily that way. He didn't get too daring, but it didn't matter anyways. Everyone thought themselves to be safe, with the party being invitation only. They didn't bother keeping an eye out for pickpockets at all.

However, he froze as his eyes met Alejandro's again, and he quickly turned and made his way through the crowd. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing Alejandro try to politely push his way through as fast as he could as well. He sped up his stride, dipping and weaving to try to lose him, but to no avail. However, Alejandro was almost right behind him just as a short, portly noble stepped in front of Alejandro with his arms open wide.

“Alejandro!” he exclaimed happily, grabbing Alejandro's arm. “We were just talking about your adventures in the New World. Come, I cannot recall the tales nearly as well as you can, my friend!”

“I cannot tell you right now. I need to catch that-- that woman!” Alejandro snapped, trying to yank his arm free.

“Alejandro you dog, were you not just saying you were married?” the man asked, his laughter deep and hearty.

“Engaged,” Alejandro corrected through gritted teeth, then pointed accusingly at João. “And that-- that's the Cygnus Thief in disguise!” The noble glanced at João and then turned back to Alejandro with another hearty laugh.

“Alejandro, you cannot be serious,” he said. “She is much too beautiful to be a thief of anything but men's hearts. Am I right?” he asked, giving a grin to João. João only smiled and covered his mouth with his silk lace fan as he glanced away to try to feign shyness.

“Ah, a woman of few words! If only my wife were the same way!” the man joked. “Come, come! You must tell Paola of your exploits, especially of that snake!”

João had to cover his mouth with a gloved hand to hold in his laughter at the rage that burned in Alejandro's eyes as he was dragged over to a different group. Just to add insult to injury, he gave him a small wave with his fan as Alejandro was dragged away. He then turned and made his way across the room again, trying to put as much distance between himself and Alejandro as possible.

Alejandro had never wanted to wring the thief's neck nearly as much as he did in that moment. He forced a small smile on his face as he chatted with the group of nobles, who were all at the very least tipsy and at the very most plastered. He recounted a few stories as he sipped at his wine, sighing in relief when the band started up for another song. He used it to his advantage, excusing himself quietly.

“I think Alejandro has found himself a mistress,” the man who dragged him over mused loudly, making the group laugh. Alejandro didn't bother focusing on it right now, he needed to find that damn thief. He straightened up as he spotted João, who had his back to him. That made it even easier.

He started to make his way to him as casually as possible, trying not to draw attention to have João turn around. He was only ten paces away from the disguised thief when suddenly a young man, presumably someone's son, came over and took João's hand to pull him into the rhythm of everyone else dancing. Alejandro felt his eye twitch as he watched the two spin around and dance, the young man clearly much less experienced than João. Alejandro turned to flag down a servant to fill up his glass of wine again, silently reasoning to himself that he needed it as he downed it in just a couple of drinks.

He turned back around to try to watch João again, determined not to let him stray too far this time, only to realize that the thief had, once again, slipped out of sight. He growled softly, and if it weren't for his reputation being on the line, he would have screamed out in frustration. He turned and stalked off, silently swearing off trying to catch the thief for tonight. He was just too slippery, and there were too many people there for him to make a scene.

João smiled as he danced with the young man, finding it easy to avoid talking since the man was clearly nervous and inexperienced as he stared down, intent on not tripping and falling more than making conversation.

João hadn't even noticed Alejandro until he spun around with the young man and caught a glint of one of the many medals on his jacket. His dancing partner's inexperience made it easy for him to move them to a spot much farther away from Alejandro, until João couldn't see him anymore through the crowd. It was also easier to avoid being switched, since nobody wanted to try to deal with a confused teen that tripped on his partner's feet every few steps.

Once the song ended, João gave a polite curtsy to silently thank him before he slipped out into the gardens again, sighing in relief when he didn't hear the deep, proud voice of the captain among the soft chatter of nobles strolling the beautiful gardens. He strolled deep into the labyrinth-like gardens until he found a stone bench. He sat down and glanced up at the stars, a small smile on his face. His eyes wandered down to the tall palace walls, and he noted the thick vines of ivy creeping up the sides.

 _That ivy would be perfect for footholds,_ he thought to himself. He followed the path of the curling vines up, realizing that it was not too far from a large, open balcony. No doubt for the king or queen to look out over their meticulously cared for gardens. João drummed his fingers against the stone bench.

_'I thought you've stolen the king's crown! And for a moment, I actually wanted a piece of the action!'_

João pursed his lips and thought it over. The windowpanes looked to be made of iron, and newly polished too, if the way it glinted in the moonlight was any indication. It would not take much oil to get them open without any noise. If the king and queen kept their crowns in their room, then it would be relatively easy to get in and out. Even if they weren't in that room, they must be close by to their bedrooms, and it most likely would be easy to find them. Guards stationed in the dead of night would not be as alert, and he was faster than them on foot anyways, since he dressed lighter and without heavy armor.

 _That would be the heist of the decade-- no, century,_ João mused with a small smile. _The world famous Cygnus Thief steals the royal crowns and then disappears forever, nobody ever knowing what happened to him, the crowns, or the stable hand that he took in._

“There you are,” came a hiss, and João was jolted out of his thoughts. He flinched back as he looked up and saw Alejandro looming over him, though his face wasn't the hateful sneer João was expecting. Instead, he only looked tired. João smirked and leaned back slightly on the bench.

“Something tells me you weren't looking for me out here,” he mused. “Trying to escape the party?”

Alejandro scoffed and crossed his arms. “Unlike you, I am used to these kinds of gatherings,” he defended, though his posture gave away how tired he was. João sighed and scooted over on the bench to give room for Alejandro to sit down. Alejandro looked surprised at the silent offer, then narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

“What are you trying to pull, thief?” he whispered. João gave him an annoyed look.

“I'm trying to be a decent person and let you sit down because you look like you are going to pass out any minute,” he retorted.

“I do not need your pity, and I am not about to pass out,” Alejandro scoffed, but sat down next to him anyways. They both sat in tense silence for a while, with João looking up at the stars again and Alejandro glancing at the flowers around them. Finally, João broke the silence.

“So...seven years huh?” he asked softly.

“I am committed to bringing you to justice,” Alejandro growled. “I have wasted too much time hunting you to give up.”

“Really?” João asked, glancing at him and smirking. “You do not seem very committed right now.”

“My reputation would be ruined forever if I were to cause a disturbance,” Alejandro grumbled. João chuckled and glanced back up at the stars, though a frown tugged at his lips soon after.

“Don't you get tired of it?” he asked softly. “The chasing, the hunting, all of the time spent running in circles...Would you not rather spend that time with a loved one?”

Alejandro fell silent, and João's hopes were lifted for a brief moment, thinking finally he might have gotten through to him.

“I...admit, it is frustrating at times,” he grumbled. “My peers mock me, my power and position has been questioned many times. If I cannot catch one petty thief, what chance do I have at catching a more severe criminal if the time came?”

João bit down the urge to correct him and point out he was not just some common petty thief. However, he didn't want to test the captain's surprisingly good mood. “I'm going into retirement,” he admitted. “I am more wealthy than any man could ever hope for, and not only in money. I have made a promise to not throw myself into danger anymore.”

“Yet you're here,” Alejandro scoffed.

“I wanted to partake in the excitement one last time,” João defended. “I was not expecting you to recognize me so quickly.”

“You think retiring will make me forgive you for what you've done?” Alejandro growled, glaring at him.

“No, of course not,” João assured him. “But I want to let you know that our game will soon be over. Playing cat and mouse was fun, yes, but this mouse no longer has a death wish.”

To his surprise, Alejandro snickered softly. “I will still try to find you,” he pointed out.

“I would not expect anything less,” João chuckled. “But I hope you don't think that I will be any easier to find, just because I will be in one place.”

“It would not be as fun if you were,” Alejandro agreed with a small smirk. He glanced towards the direction of the doorway and a small frown tugged at his lips. “Admittedly, I came out here because the ball is almost drawing to a close,” he mused. “Some are already leaving.” He stood up, and offered a hand to João. João looked at his hand warily, but took it and got to his feet as well.

“I'll give you a headstart, because you're in that dress,” Alejandro said, a small smirk on his face. “You have five minutes. Make the most of it.”

João looked at him and grinned before turning and hurrying back into the main room as much as his dress and shoes allowed, deciding to leave through the courtyard so he didn't give away how he got in. He made it back to Ofelia and rode her back to his house, silently musing that Alejandro gave him much more than five minutes. He wondered if the captain even bothered trying to follow him at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun times u3u 
> 
> My art and writing commissions are still open!! Please check out https://merciful-mercenary.tumblr.com/post/179890278890/hey-guys-so-for-some-reason-ive-been-having-a
> 
> As before, don't forget there's a discord server for appreciating aph portugal! https://discord.gg/KVtEe2Q  
> (I'm putting this at the end of every chapter from now on and you can't stop me)


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